Outdoor surface cleaning apparatus with spray mechanism

ABSTRACT

The invention provides a rugged cleaning device configured to clean outdoor surfaces using a variety of fluids and techniques. The outdoor cleaning device includes a brush head, a motor and a transmission for providing a driving force to the brush head, a fluid tank for storing a fluid (e.g., a cleaning solution or detergent), and a controller for controlling mixing (or not mixing) the fluid stored in the fluid tank during operation of the outdoor cleaning device. The controller may enable fluid from the cleaning tank to be mixed with a second fluid (e.g., water) prior to being dispensed via a plurality of nozzles. The nozzles may be formed via grooves on an inner cover and an outer cover may be provided to close off the grooves to form fluid channels. The fluid channels enable the distribution of cleaning fluids in various directions, enhancing the brush head&#39;s cleaning capability.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims priority to Hong Kong Application No.22020002067.9, entitled “OUTDOOR SURFACE CLEANING APPARATUS WITH SPRAYMECHANISM,” filed on Jan. 30, 2020, the contents of which areincorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to an outdoor surface cleaningapparatus. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to anoutdoor cleaning device having a spray mechanism for discharging mixedfluids, such as water mixed with a cleaning solution.

BACKGROUND

Outdoor surface cleaning apparatuses are a specific class of outdoorproducts designed to treat outdoor surfaces, such as patio or paversurfaces and joints, which are more rugged and less delicate than indoorsurfaces. These outdoor surfaces and joints can become soiled withstubborn dirt, weeds, and/or grease that are harder to remove than dirton indoor surfaces.

Manually operated paver push brooms and electric pressure washers areexamples of conventional outdoor surface cleaning apparatuses. A paverpush broom generally includes a fixed brush with stiff bristles arrangedat an end of a broom stick. Dirt on a surface can be removed byscrubbing the surface with the bristles, optionally with cleaningsolution or powder manually applied to the outdoor surface prior tocleaning. A pressure washer, on the other hand, generally includes anozzle that directs pressurized liquid to the surface to dislodge dirtand grease from the surface. These conventional outdoor surface cleaningapparatuses are usually dedicated outdoor apparatuses adaptedspecifically for only outdoor cleaning operations. These apparatuses arenot readily convertible for different surface cleaning applications.

Some recently developed outdoor surface cleaning apparatuses include oneor more brushing elements and water outlets. However, the waterdischarging mechanism typically discharges water unidirectionally to thefront of the apparatus only. The power head (e.g., a motor) and thedriving elements may not be sufficiently isolated so as to preventcontact with some of the water discharged during cleaning. As the powerhead and gearbox may not be waterproof, water may contact the power headand/or driving elements and cause damage to the power head or gearboxover time. Further, while conventional outdoor surface cleaningapparatuses can clean floors effectively, they may not be able toeffectively clean the surface of walls, or the risers of stairs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Provided herein is a surface cleaning apparatus having a spray mechanismadapted to spray different types of liquids. For example, the disclosedcleaning device may be configured to spray a mixture of differentliquids, such as water mixed with a concentrated cleaning solution orwater only. The cleaning solution may be sprayed from the surfacecleaning apparatus such that the cleaning solution is sprayed directlyonto a surface to be cleaned by the surface cleaning apparatus, such asa patio or floor, rather than being sprayed on a portion of the cleaningapparatus (e.g., cleaning bristles, etc.). By providing the capabilityto spray mixed liquids, the surface cleaning apparatus may realizeimproved cleaning, which may include removal of more dirt or otherundesired substances from the surface and/or faster removal of the dirtor other undesired substances. Moreover, the ability to spray only watermay also provide additional capabilities, such as the ability operatethe surface cleaning apparatus during a first cleaning cycle in whichwater mixed with a concentrated cleaner is utilized and then a secondcleaning cycle may be performed in which only water is dispensed inorder to remove excess cleaning solution that may remain on the surfaceafter cleaning or for other reasons. Additionally, surface cleaningdevices configured in accordance with aspects of the present disclosuremay also be operated without dispensing any liquids (i.e., a dry mode ofoperation).

According to certain aspects, the surface cleaning apparatus may includea handle; a power head with a prime mover; an attachment head having acleaning attachment; and a spray mechanism having a first fluid input, asecond fluid input, and a cleaning fluid output. The spray mechanism mayinclude a mixing assembly in fluid communication with the first fluidinput, the second fluid input, and the cleaning solution output.

According to certain aspects, the cleaning solution output may includeat least a brush nozzle and a side nozzle. The brush nozzle isconfigured to spray cleaning solution onto a surface in front of thecleaning attachment or directly onto the cleaning attachment; and theside nozzle is configured to spray cleaning solution onto the surface infront of the cleaning attachment or an adjacent surface.

According to certain aspects, the cleaning solution output comprises atleast a discharging bar having holes arranged horizontally along alongitudinal length of the discharging bar so as to discharge thecleaning solution onto a surface to be cleaned by the cleaningattachment.

According to certain aspects, the first fluid input is a water inletassembly and may include a hose dock and a control panel. The controlpanel may include a controller configured to control output of liquidsduring operation of the surface cleaning apparatus. For example, thecontroller may include lever, a switch, or a knob that is configurable(e.g., rotatable, slideable, etc.) for selecting between a waterlessmode of operation, a water only mode of operation, or a diluteddetergent mode of operation in which water mixed with a cleaningsolution or detergent is dispensed.

According to certain aspects, the mixing assembly is positioned at thehandle. In additional or alternative aspects, the mixing assembly may bepositioned at a location other than the handle, such as on a housingattached to a longitudinal shaft, where the handle is located at a firstend of the longitudinal shaft and the housing may be positioned at alocation along the length of the longitudinal shaft.

According to certain aspects, the second fluid input further comprises adetergent dock configured for attaching a detergent bottle or a fluidtank. A detergent or concentrated cleaning solution may be stored in thedetergent bottle of fluid tank.

According to certain aspects, the mixing assembly is positioned along atube assembly, wherein the tube assembly is arranged between the handleand the power head. The mixing assembly may include an integrated tankarranged in-line with the tube assembly. A transparent window may beprovided on a wall of the integrated tank with volume indicators, and ahinged cap and a stopper may be provided at top of the integrated tankor at side of the integrated tank so that the tank may be filled with adetergent or cleaning solution.

According to certain aspects, the mixing assembly further comprises aventuri tube having a contraction section, a diffusion section, and athroat section. The contraction section may be coupled to a first hoseconnecting to the first fluid input. The diffusion section is coupled toa second hose connecting to the cleaning fluid output, and the throatsection is configured to draw detergent from the second fluid inputusing the venturi effect, thereby causing water flowing through theventuri tube to become mixed with the detergent to obtain a mixed fluid(e.g., diluted detergent or cleaning solution).

According to certain aspects, the second hose has an inner diameter in arange between 7 mm and 12 mm, and an outer diameter in a range between10.5 mm and 16 mm.

According to certain aspects, the control panel may include valves andtwo outlet ports. The first outlet port may be coupled to a first inletport of a Y-shape connector for transporting water, and the secondoutlet port may be coupled to a second inlet port of the Y-shapeconnector via the venturi tube and a check valve.

According to certain aspects, the cleaning attachment is at leastpartially covered by a guard arranged between a left lateral end portionand a right lateral end portion of the power head. The guard is attachedto a rubber squeegee that is extended from a back side of the guard withan adjustable height for controlling a flow of cleaning solution on asurface.

According to certain aspects, the surface cleaning apparatus furthercomprises a rotary knob for adjusting a flow of cleaning solution.

According to certain aspects, the surface cleaning apparatus furthercomprises a side brush attachable to a side of the cleaning attachmentthat is perpendicular to an axis of rotation of the cleaning attachment,thereby allowing the side brush to clean a second surface in a lateraldirection, such as a portion of a wall or stair perpendicular to thesurface upon which the outdoor cleaning apparatus is resting upon.

According to certain aspects, the cleaning attachment may include abrush head and a circular side brush attachable to the brush head. Thecleaning attachment may be coupled to the power head for transferring atorque such that the circular side brush allows brushing of a surface ina lateral direction, such as a portion of a wall or stair perpendicularto the surface upon which the outdoor cleaning apparatus is restingupon.

According to certain aspects, the cleaning attachment comprises a brushhead and a dome-shaped brush attachable to the brush head, which iscoupled to the power head for transferring a torque such that thedome-shaped brush allows brushing of a surface in a lateral direction,such as a portion of a wall or stair perpendicular to the surface uponwhich the outdoor cleaning apparatus is resting upon.

According to certain aspects, the dome-shaped brush further comprises aninner dome, a plurality of bristles arranged circumferentially aroundthe inner dome, and a roller ball supported by a socket which is mountedon top of the inner dome.

According to certain aspects, the surface cleaning apparatus furthercomprises a rotatable joint, wherein the power head and the attachmenthead at a horizontal state are rotatable clockwisely by 90 degrees to avertical state using the rotatable joint.

According to certain aspects, the brush head includes a removable sidebrush. The removable side brush may facilitate cleaning of a surfacethat would otherwise be difficult to clean, such as a stair.

In an aspect, a driving means may be provided. The driving means mayinclude a motor for generating a driving force and a mechanism fortransferring the driving force to the brush head. For example, themechanism for transferring the driving force may include a gear chain ormay include a gear an shaft. The gear chain or gear and shaft allows thedriving means to be moved further from the brush head and to a positionwhere the likelihood that the motor is damaged by fluid splashing isminimized.

In some aspects, a plurality of nozzles are provided to spray fluid ontoa surface to be cleaned. The plurality of nozzles may be positioned on aguard or cover that at least partially surrounds the brush head. Theguard may be a multi-part guard formed from an inner cover and an outercover. The inner cover may have a plurality of grooves that may formfluid channels when covered by the outer cover. The fluid channels maybe used to transport fluids to the plurality of nozzles where the fluidsare sprayed onto the surface to be cleaned.

This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in asimplified form that are further described below in the DetailedDescription. This Summary is not intended to identify key features oressential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended tobe used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subjectmatter. Other aspects and advantages of the present invention aredisclosed as illustrated by the embodiments hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The appended drawings contain figures to further illustrate and clarifythe above and other aspects, advantages, and features of the presentdisclosure. It will be appreciated that these drawings depict onlycertain embodiments of the present disclosure and are not intended tolimit its scope. It will also be appreciated that these drawings areillustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily beendepicted to scale. The present disclosure will now be described andexplained with additional specificity and detail through the use of theaccompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an outdoor surface cleaning apparatus ina first configuration in accordance with certain embodiments of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the handle of the outdoor surface cleaningapparatus of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the auxiliary handle and the telescopicadjustment mechanism of the outdoor surface cleaning apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a front view of the front end of the outdoor surface cleaningapparatus of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 5 is a front view of an internal construction of the front end(front of the housing removed) of the outdoor surface cleaning apparatusof FIG. 1 with the roller brush disassembled;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an internal construction of the frontend (roller brush and housing removed) of the outdoor surface cleaningapparatus of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 7 is an exploded view showing the internal construction of the basepart and the brushing part (with the belt from the transmission assemblyincluded) of the outdoor surface cleaning apparatus of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional front view of the front end of the outdoorsurface cleaning apparatus of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 9 is a side view of the front end of the outdoor surface cleaningapparatus of FIG. 1 showing the internal construction of thetransmission assembly;

FIG. 10 is an end cap that can be assembled to cover the transmissionassembly of FIG. 9 ;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an internal construction of the frontend (end cap and front of the housing removed) of the outdoor surfacecleaning apparatus of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 12 is a bottom perspective view of the rear end of the outdoorsurface cleaning apparatus of FIG. 1 showing the mixing assembly and thewater inlet assembly;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the water inlet assembly;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of an outdoor surface cleaning apparatusin a second configuration with the mixing assembly positioned at thetube assembly in accordance with certain embodiments of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 15 is a fragmentary perspective view of the handle of the outdoorsurface cleaning apparatus of FIG. 14 showing the water inlet assembly;

FIG. 16 is a side view of an alternative configuration of the rear endof the outdoor surface cleaning apparatus in accordance with certainembodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 17 is an exploded view of the mixing assembly positioned at thetube assembly of the outdoor surface cleaning apparatus of FIG. 14 ;

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of the front end of the outdoor surfacecleaning apparatus having a first configuration of the integratedbottle;

FIG. 19 is a perspective view of the front end of the outdoor surfacecleaning apparatus having a second configuration of the integratedbottle;

FIG. 20 is a perspective view of the front end (guard removed) of theoutdoor surface cleaning apparatus with a first configuration of thespray nozzles;

FIG. 21 is a perspective view of an internal construction of the frontend of the outdoor surface cleaning apparatus with a secondconfiguration of the spray nozzles;

FIG. 22 is a schematic diagram showing the flow of water and detergent;

FIG. 23 is a perspective view of the front end showing a side brushattachable to the outdoor surface cleaning apparatus of FIG. 14 ;

FIG. 24 is a perspective view of an outdoor surface cleaning apparatusin a third configuration with the mixing assembly positioned at the tubeassembly in accordance with certain embodiments of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 25 is a front view of the front end of the outdoor surface cleaningapparatus of FIG. 24 ;

FIG. 26 is an exploded view of the disc brush assembly of the outdoorsurface cleaning apparatus of FIG. 24 ;

FIG. 27 is a perspective view of the front end showing a circular sidebrush attachable to an outdoor surface cleaning apparatus in a fourthconfiguration in accordance with certain embodiments of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 28 is a front view of the front end of an outdoor surface cleaningapparatus of FIG. 27 with a dome-shaped brush attached;

FIG. 29 is a side view of the front end of an outdoor surface cleaningapparatus of FIG. 28 in a twisting head mode; and

FIG. 30 is a side view of an alternative configuration of thedome-shaped brush;

FIG. 31 is a front view of an outdoor surface cleaning apparatus inaccordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 32 is a back view of an outdoor surface cleaning apparatus inaccordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 33 is a side view of an outdoor surface cleaning apparatus inaccordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 34 is a perspective view of an outdoor surface cleaning apparatusin accordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 35 is a fragmentary perspective view of the nozzles of the outdoorsurface cleaning apparatus of FIGS. 31-34 showing the nozzle locations;

FIG. 36 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating additionalaspects of the nozzles of the outdoor surface cleaning apparatus ofFIGS. 31-34 showing the nozzle locations;

FIG. 37 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating additionalaspects of the nozzles of the outdoor surface cleaning apparatus ofFIGS. 31-34 showing the nozzle locations;

FIG. 38 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating additionalaspects of the nozzles of the outdoor surface cleaning apparatus ofFIGS. 31-34 showing the nozzle locations;

FIG. 39 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating aspects of abattery compartment of the outdoor surface cleaning apparatus of FIGS.31-34 showing the nozzle locations;

FIG. 40 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating aspects of afluid tank of the outdoor surface cleaning apparatus of FIGS. 31-34showing the nozzle locations;

FIG. 41 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating additionalaspects of a fluid tank of the outdoor surface cleaning apparatus ofFIGS. 31-34 showing the nozzle locations;

FIG. 42 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating aspects of adriving means of the outdoor surface cleaning apparatus of FIGS. 31-34 ;

FIGS. 43-45 are fragmentary perspective views illustrating additionalaspects of the driving of the outdoor surface cleaning apparatus of FIG.42 ;

FIG. 46 is a fragmentary perspective views illustrating an alternativeembodiment of the outdoor surface cleaning apparatus having a fluid tankon the back of the outdoor cleaning device in accordance with certainembodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 47 is a fragmentary perspective views illustrating additionalaspects of the driving mean of an outdoor surface cleaning apparatus inaccordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

FIG. 48 is a fragmentary perspective views illustrating aspects of aroller brush of an outdoor surface cleaning apparatus in accordance withaspects of the present disclosure;

FIG. 49 is a fragmentary perspective views illustrating aspects of aroller brush of an outdoor surface cleaning apparatus in accordance withaspects of the present disclosure;

FIG. 50 is a fragmentary perspective views illustrating aspects of aroller brush of an outdoor surface cleaning apparatus in accordance withaspects of the present disclosure;

FIG. 51 is a fragmentary perspective views illustrating aspects of arotational locking mechanism and output shaft of an outdoor surfacecleaning apparatus in accordance with certain embodiments of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 52 is a fragmentary perspective views illustrating aspects of anoutput shaft of an outdoor surface cleaning apparatus in accordance withcertain embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 53 is a fragmentary perspective views illustrating a cross-sectionof portion of an output shaft of an outdoor surface cleaning apparatusin accordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 54 is a front view illustrating aspects of a release button of anoutdoor surface cleaning apparatus in accordance with certainembodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 55 is a side view illustrating aspects of a release button of anoutdoor surface cleaning apparatus in accordance with certainembodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 56 is a perspective view illustrating aspects of a release buttonof an outdoor surface cleaning apparatus in accordance with certainembodiments of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 57A-57D illustrate various fragmentary views of roller brushcomponents of an outdoor surface cleaning apparatus in accordance withcertain embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 58 is a perspective view illustrating aspects of a clamp of anoutdoor surface cleaning apparatus in accordance with certainembodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 59 is a side view illustrating aspects of a clamp of an outdoorsurface cleaning apparatus in accordance with certain embodiments of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 60 is a top view illustrating aspects of a clamp of an outdoorsurface cleaning apparatus in accordance with certain embodiments of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 61 is another top view illustrating aspects of a clamp of anoutdoor surface cleaning apparatus in accordance with aspects of thepresent disclosure;

FIGS. 62A-62G show images illustrating aspects of securing components toa roller brush of an outdoor surface cleaning apparatus in accordancewith certain embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 63A-63C show fragmentary views illustrating a motor cover of anoutdoor surface cleaning apparatus in accordance with aspects of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 64 is an image illustrating an exemplary configuration of a fluiddistribution system of an outdoor surface cleaning apparatus inaccordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 65 shows images illustrating exemplary aspects of securing a nozzleto a guard cover of an outdoor surface cleaning apparatus in accordancewith certain embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 66 shows images illustrating exemplary aspects of securing a nozzleto a guard cover of an outdoor surface cleaning apparatus in accordancewith certain embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 67 shows images illustrating exemplary aspects of a nozzle securedwithin a guard cover of an outdoor surface cleaning apparatus inaccordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 68 is a perspective view illustrating an exemplary mechanism forsecuring a clamp within a brush head of an outdoor cleaning device inaccordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 69 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary technique for integratingnozzles within the structure of a guard cover of an outdoor cleaningdevice in accordance with certain embodiments of the presentdisclosure..

Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures areillustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily beendepicted to scale.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and isnot intended to limit the disclosure or its application and/or uses. Itshould be appreciated that a vast number of variations exist. Thedetailed description will enable those of ordinary skilled in the art toimplement an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure withoutundue experimentation, and it is understood that various changes ormodifications may be made in the function and structure described in theexemplary embodiment without departing from the scope of the presentdisclosure as set forth in the appended claims.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3 , there is shown an outdoor surface cleaningapparatus 100 in a first configuration in accordance with certainembodiments. The apparatus 100 includes a handle 102 at the rear end100A, and a power head 104 and an attachment head at the front end 100B.A tube assembly 106 is arranged between the handle 102 and the powerhead 104. The tube assembly 106 defines a longitudinal axis A alongwhich the apparatus 100 generally extends. In certain embodiments, thetube assembly 106 is an elongated tube assembly formed by an inner tube106A and an outer tube 106B in slidable arrangement, with a clamp 106Ctherebetween for locking the inner and outer tubes 106A, 106B withrespect to each other. In other words, the tube assembly 106 is atelescopic tube assembly, the length of which can be adjusted to suitthe height of different users. In the first configuration, a first fluidinput and a second fluid input are positioned at the handle 102 forreceiving water and detergent respectively. The apparatus 100 comprisesan attachment head having a brush head 105 as a cleaning attachment. Ina second configuration as shown in FIG. 14 , the apparatus 100 maycomprise a first fluid input positioned at the handle 102 for receivingwater and a second fluid input positioned along the tube assembly 106for receiving detergent. The third configuration as shown in FIG. 24 issimilar to the second configuration, but the apparatus 100 comprises anattachment head having a disc brush assembly 400 as a cleaningattachment. In a fourth configuration as shown in FIG. 27 , a circularside brush 522 or a dome-shaped brush 523 is attachable to the apparatus100.

In certain embodiments, the power head 104 includes a long axis B thatextends generally horizontally and perpendicular to the longitudinalaxis A of the tube assembly 106. The power head 104 includes a motor anda gear transmission. The motor is arranged with a shaft orientedgenerally horizontally along the long axis B. In certain embodiments,the attachment head has a brush head 105, comprising roller brush 502,as a cleaning attachment. The brush head 105 may be arranged below thepower head 104 and the roller brush 502 is driven to rotate by the powerhead 104. In some examples, the roller brush 502 may advantageouslyinclude bristles arranged in different patterns, with different lengths,diameters, materials, and/or hardness, for example, alternatively alongone or both of the circumferential surface or the long axis of theroller brush 502, to provide an improved cleaning effect.

As shown in FIG. 2 , the handle 102 includes a hand grip portion 102Gthat extends generally rearwardly with respect to the tube assembly 106and the power head 104. The hand grip portion 102G includes a trigger108 and a speed control switch 102A. In certain embodiments, the handle102 further comprises a forward-reverse button to switch the rotationdirection of the roller brush 502. The base part of the hand gripportion 102G, i.e., the rear-most end of the handle 102, may include abase 103B with a battery receptacle for receiving a battery 103. Thebattery 103 may be a single battery, a battery pack, or other formfactors. The battery 103 is installed above the hose socket 322 of thewater inlet assembly 320, which can minimize the risk of water loggingof battery by cleaning solution. The term “cleaning solution,” as usedherein, may include water, detergent, diluted detergent, alcohol, andother cleaning solvents. Electrical connections are arranged inside thehandle 102, the tube assembly 106, and the power head 104, forelectrically connecting the battery 103 with the motor in the power head104. The apparatus 100 is preferably a cordless DC electric apparatusbut it may alternatively be a corded AC electric apparatus or a hybridAC-DC electric apparatus. The apparatus 100 can be operated with anynumber of battery packs 103. In one example, the apparatus 100 isoperated with an 18V lithium-based battery pack. The base part 102Bdefines a plane that is generally angled with respect to a verticalplane. Actuating the trigger 108 in the handle 102 activates the motorin the power head 104 and hence the brush head 105 is driven to rotate.The speed control switch 102A can adjust the rotational speed of theroller brush 502, and may reverse the direction of rotation of theroller brush 502 using the same switch or alternatively with a separatecontrol switch.

As shown in FIG. 3 , an auxiliary handle 110 is mounted to the tubeassembly 106 at a position between the clamp 106C and the handle 102. Incertain embodiments, the position of the auxiliary handle 110 may beadjustable along the tube assembly 106 or otherwise fixed thereon. Theauxiliary handle 110 is mounted to the tube assembly 106 using aU-shaped coupler 112 that surrounds the tube 106A and defines a mouthfor receiving a coupling part of the auxiliary handle 110. The U-shapedcoupler 112 and the coupling part of the auxiliary handle 110 includecorrespondingly aligned through-openings through which a knob 114extends. A nut 116 is used to tighten the mouth of the U-shaped coupler112 to clamp onto and secure the auxiliary handle 110. The auxiliaryhandle 110 is rotatable with respect to the tube assembly 106 about arotation axis C (defined by the knob 114) substantially transverse tothe longitudinal axis A of the tube assembly 106.

FIG. 4 shows the front end 100B of the apparatus 100 of FIG. 1 . Thepower head 104 includes two lateral end portions 104A, 104B and each maybe arranged to be coupled with an attachment head having a cleaningattachment directly or indirectly. In the first configuration, theattachment head may comprise a brush head 105 connected to the powerhead 104 indirectly through a transmission assembly 500. Thetransmission assembly 500 is arranged to transfer the torque from thepower head 104 to the attachment head, wherein the attachment head isthe brush head 105 as the cleaning attachment. One of the lateral endportions 104A, 104B allows for mechanical coupling between the driveassembly in the power head 104 and the transmission assembly 500, whilethe other lateral end portion 104A, 104B may be covered by a side cover430. Each of the end portions 104A, 104B includes an engagementarrangement for releasably engaging with the corresponding engagementarrangement of the transmission assembly 500 or the side cover 430,which may be attached or detached thereto with or without using a tool.If the transmission assembly 500 is engaged to the right side of thepower head 104, the shaft from the drive assembly is arranged to extendhorizontally out from the left lateral end 104A, and the side cover 430is engaged to the left side of the power head 104. In other words, theleft lateral end portion 104A includes a coupling member arranged tocouple with the corresponding coupling member of the transmissionassembly 500. The drive assembly in the power head 104 is arranged tocouple with the transmission assembly 500, and the lower part of thetransmission assembly 500 is coupled to a first end of the brush head105 for driving the roller brush 502 in the brush head 105.

As viewed from the front of the apparatus 100, the power head 104 may becovered by a housing 431 having a plurality of ventilation openings 434.The plurality of ventilation openings 434 are characterized in thatwater ingress is prevented and the air ventilation is guaranteed toavoid overheating of the power head 104. In particular, each of theplurality of ventilation openings 434 is a gap suitably arranged on thehousing 431 for an air inlet that runs horizontally towards the centerline of symmetry of the power head 104. In certain embodiments, theventilation openings 434 are at least partially covered by covers orwater shields.

FIG. 5 shows the internal construction of the front end 100B of theapparatus 100. The drive assembly of the power head 104 may include anytypes of prime movers, preferably a motor 201, with gear transmissionunit. The power head 104 includes coupling member for coupling with thecorresponding coupling member on the transmission assembly 500. Thedrive assembly of the power head 104 can be oriented differently, e.g.,with the motor shaft 201A extending at an angle to horizontal or evenvertically. In certain embodiments, electrical connection between thedrive assembly of the power head 104 and the transmission assembly 500may also be established as the mechanical connection is established.

As viewed from the front of the apparatus 100 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a first end cap 432 of the transmission assembly 500 is coupled to theleft lateral end 104A of the power head 104 and a second end cap 433 ofthe side cover 430 is coupled to the right lateral end 104B of the powerhead 104. To connect the first end cap 432 of the transmission assembly500 to the power head 104, the user simply aligns the correspondingengagement features 506A, 506B on the power head 104 and the first endcap 432 of the transmission assembly 500, and then moves the first endcap 432 or the power head 104 relatively towards each other along themovement axis D such that the engagement features 506A, 506B engage. Inthis embodiment, the movement axis D is generally horizontal. Todisconnect the first end cap 432 of the transmission assembly 500 fromthe power head 104, the user simply disengages the engagement feature506A on the power head 104 from the engagement feature 506B on the firstend cap 432 of the transmission assembly 500, then moves the first endcap 432 of the transmission assembly 500 or the power head 104relatively away from each other along the movement axis D. The sameengagement features 506A, 506B are also provided in the second end cap433 for connecting to the power head 104. The shape and form ofengagement features 506A, 506B may vary, and the number of engagementfeatures 506A, 506B can be any number, preferably less than four on eachside.

As shown in FIG. 6 , the left lateral end 104A and the right lateral end104B may be extended down to the brush head 105 from the power head 104.A guard 512 is screwed between the left lateral end 104A and the rightlateral end 104B at least partially covering the brush head 105. Theshape and form of the guard 512 may vary but the guard 512 can generallybe any type of cover that at least partly surrounds the brush head 105to shield the power head 104 from materials that are dislodged from thesurface by agitation of the brush head 105. Some embodiments also allowthe guard 512 to be adjusted without having to use a tool. Thisarrangement further improves ease of use of the apparatus 100. Theengagement and rotation mechanism for the guard 512 may provide aclicking sound (by material contact) to indicate movement of the guard512. The guard 512 may include two roller shafts 540A, 540B, bothextending generally parallel to the axis D and generally tapered towardsthe roller brush 502, to engage corresponding recesses 502R (shown inFIG. 7 ) in the roller brush 502. The roller brush 502 in thisembodiment includes radially extending bristles. A rubber squeegee 513is attached to and extended from the back side of the guard 512, whichhas an adjustable height for controlling the flow of cleaning solutionon the floor surface. The roller shafts 540A, 540B are respectivelymounted on a left drive shaft 501A and the right drive shaft 501B, whichcan rotate along an axis generally parallel to the axis D and extendedalong a through-opening on the left lateral end 104A and the rightlateral end 104B. Nuts 552, 553 are used to respectively tighten theleft drive shaft 501A and the right drive shaft 501B in position withrespect to the left lateral end 104A and the right lateral end 104Busing O-rings 503A, 503B.

Certain embodiments of the internal structure of the power head 104 areshown in FIGS. 6-8 . The motor 201 is fixed by a motor mount 202 and amotor housing 203 to secure the position of the motor 201 with respectto the housing 431 of the power head 104. The motor 201 may be anelectric powered brushed motor and the motor shaft 201A is driven torotate when the motor 201 is activated. The motor housing 203 has oneside engaged with the motor 201, and another side engaged with a firstplanetary carrier 210. The gear transmission unit, comprising aplurality of gears provided within a gearbox housing 204, is driven bythe motor shaft 201A of the motor 201. The plurality of gears isarranged to form a first layer of planetary gear 211 and a second layerof planetary gear 221. The first layer of planetary gear 211 is fixedlyconnected to the first planetary carrier 210, and engaged with the firstring gear 212 to form a first gear arrangement 231. The first geararrangement 231 is driven by the motor 201, and drives the second geararrangement 232. The second gear arrangement 232 comprises a second ringgear 222, the second layer of planetary gear 221, and a boss gear 223being concentric with a washer 205 which is engaged with the first layerof planetary gear 211 of the first gear arrangement 231. The boss gear223 drives the second layer of planetary gear 221, which is engaged withthe second ring gear 222. A first bearing 206 is provided within thegearbox housing 204 and in contact with the second layer of planetarygear 221. A drive shaft 514 is fit into an O-ring 207 and is driven bythe second gear arrangement 232 for driving the transmission assembly500.

As shown in FIGS. 7-9 , the drive shaft 514 has one end comprising aspindle 514A arranged to couple with a corresponding gear in the secondgear arrangement 232. The other end of the drive shaft 514 has one ormore dents, which is fixedly coupled to an upper pulley 550 on an upperpart of the transmission assembly 500. A nut 551 is used to secure theupper pulley 550 in position. A belt drive mechanism is arranged in thetransmission assembly 500. The belt drive mechanism is formed by theupper pulley 550 connected at one end of the drive shaft 514, acorresponding lower pulley 504 at a lower part of the transmissionassembly 500, and a belt 554 connecting the two pulleys 550, 504. Thelower part of the transmission assembly 500 is mechanically coupled to afirst end of the brush head 105. The lower pulley 504, being concentricwith the roller brush 502, is arranged to rotationally drive the rollerbrush 502 at a speed determined by the speed of the motor 201 throughthe first gear arrangement 231 and the second gear arrangement 232. Incertain embodiments, the belt 554 is a flat belt. The pulleys 550, 504may each include axial ribs. The spindle 514A is arranged to allowtransfer of torque from the second gear arrangement 232 to the driveshaft 514, and the drive shaft 514 is coupled to the upper pulley 550,hence the torque is transferred to the lower pulley 504 via the belt 554to drive the roller brush 502 into rotation. FIG. 10 shows an end cap432 that can be assembled to cover the transmission assembly 500. Inthis embodiment, the roller brush 502 is arranged to interact with theoutdoor surface to be or being cleaned. The drive assembly in the powerhead 104 and the transmission assembly 500 are provided to rotate theroller brush 502 at a desired speed.

In certain embodiments, the outdoor surface cleaning apparatus 100 canbe used as a patio cleaner having a spray mechanism with a cleaningsolution output at the front end 100B, which is capable of sprayingcleaning solution for cleaning purposes. The cleaning solution outputcan be in fluid communication with a first fluid input for receivingwater from an external water hose, such as a garden hose, and there isno built-in water tank. The cleaning solution output may also be influid communication with a second fluid input for receiving detergent.FIG. 11 shows a first configuration of the apparatus 100 illustratinghow the cleaning solution is discharged. The hose 312 is an externaltube for transporting cleaning solution, which is distributed to a sidenozzle 301 and a brush nozzle 302. The hose 312 can have an innerdiameter in a range between 5 mm and 15 mm, or in a range between 7 mmand 12 mm. The outer diameter of the hose 312 can be in a range between9 mm and 18 mm, or in a range between 10.5 mm and 16 mm. In certainembodiments, the hose has an inner diameter of 7 mm and an outerdiameter of 10.5 mm, the flow rate of water is 0.35 L/s, and the flowrate of diluted detergent (water and detergent mixed) is 0.14 L/s. Thebrush nozzle 302 is a sprayer, which may be positioned outside theshield 512 or alternatively within the shield 512 and above the cleaningattachment, such as the brush head 105. The brush nozzle 302 isconfigured to spray cleaning solution onto a surface in front of thecleaning attachment or directly to the cleaning attachment. The sidenozzle 301 may not be firmly fixed on the front end 100B, and the angleof water jet from the side nozzle 301 may be adjustable. The side nozzle301 is configured to spray cleaning solution onto a contact surface infront of the cleaning attachment, such as the brush head 105, or theadjacent surface such that cleaning solution can be discharged on thesurface before the surface comes in contact with the cleaningattachment.

The spray mechanism can further comprise a mixing assembly 330 and awater inlet assembly 320. As shown in FIG. 12 , the rear end 100A of theapparatus 100 includes the battery 103, the handle 102, the mixingassembly 330, and the water inlet assembly 320. The handle 102 isconnected to the mixing assembly 300 and the water inlet assembly 320 atthe bottom. Both the mixing assembly 330 and the water inlet assembly320 are enclosed within a housing 323. At one end of the housing 323,the water inlet assembly 320 as a first fluid input is provided,comprising a hose dock 322 and a control panel 324. The hose dock 322 isa quick release dock configured for coupling with and receiving anexternal water hose, and is coupled to a control panel 324 having valvesfor controlling the water input and the mixing of detergent. The mixingassembly 300 and a second fluid input comprising a detergent dock 321are provided at a bottom side of the housing 323, which are in fluidcommunication with the first fluid input for mixing the water from theexternal water hose with the detergent from the second fluid input. Theoutput of the mixing assembly 300 is in fluid communication with acleaning solution output. The detergent dock 321 is configured forattaching a detergent bottle 350 thereto. A straw 333 extends out fromthe detergent dock 321 and into the detergent bottle 350, with the tipof the straw 333 at the bottom of the detergent bottle 350 for receivingthe detergent. As shown in FIG. 13 , an exemplary implementation of thewater inlet assembly 320 is depicted. The hose dock 322 is directlyconnected to the control panel 324 such that the amount of waterentering the mixing assembly 300 from the external water hose can becontrolled. The control panel 324 comprises a lever 324D that isrotatable along the circumference of the control panel 324 for selectinga mode of operation. When the lever 324D is set to the center position324B, the valve for the hose dock 322 is closed and a waterless mode isselected. When the lever 324D is rotated up to “W” position 324C forselecting a water only mode, the valve for the hose dock 322 is openedand only water is flowed into the mixing assembly 300 for discharge atthe side nozzle 301 and the brush nozzle 302. When the lever 324D isrotated down to “W+D” position 324A for selecting a diluted detergentmode, the valves for the hose dock 322 and the detergent dock 321 areopened, thereby allowing water and detergent to be mixed in the mixingassembly 300. Diluted detergent is distributed through the side nozzle301 and the brush nozzle 302. In certain embodiments, the control panel324 may be electrically powered and the lever 324D is replaced by one ormore electric switches.

FIG. 14 shows the outdoor surface cleaning apparatus 100 in a secondconfiguration with a detergent dock 321 and a respective mixing assembly330 positioned along the tube assembly 106, and a water inlet assembly320 positioned at the front part of the handle 102. The first fluidinput is positioned at the handle 102 for receiving water from anexternal water hose, whereas the second fluid input comprising adetergent dock 321 is positioned along the tube assembly 106 forreceiving detergent. On the first fluid input, the hose dock 322 of thewater inlet assembly 320 is in fluid communication with the controlpanel 324, and both are enclosed within a housing 323, as shown in moredetails in FIG. 15 .

In certain embodiments, the physical position of the battery 103 and thewater inlet assembly 320 may be swapped, as shown in the alternativeconfiguration of the apparatus 100 in FIG. 16 . The base part of thehand grip portion 102G, i.e., the rear-most end of the handle 102, isconnected to the water inlet assembly 320. The front part of the handle102, i.e., opposite to the hand grip portion 102G, includes a base 103Bwith a battery receptacle for receiving a battery pack 103. The battery103 may be enclosed in a waterproof battery cover, such as IPX5 or IPX6,as the hose 312 for transferring water from the water inlet assembly 320may travel within the handle 102 proximate to the battery 103.

FIG. 17 shows an exploded view of the mixing assembly 330 and a secondfluid input positioned along the tube assembly 106 of the apparatus 100.A detergent mount 106D is detachably mounted to the tube assembly 106.In certain embodiments, the detergent mount 106D is fastened on the tubeassembly 106 at the same position as the clamp 106C. The mixing assembly330 is mounted on the detergent mount 106D, comprising a venturi tube340 with a contraction section 340A, a diffusion section 340B, and athroat section 340C. The contraction section 340A is connected to afirst hose, which is in fluid communication with the water inletassembly 320, and may be hidden within a hollow interior of the innertube 106A. The diffusion section 340B is connected to a second hose,which is in fluid communication with the cleaning solution output at thefront end 100B for discharging the cleaning solution. The second hosemay be hidden within the outer tube 106B. The diffusion section 340B maybe connected to, or otherwise comprise, a check valve 341 (not shown inthe FIG. 17 ). The venturi tube 340 makes use of venturi effect to drawdetergent out from the detergent bottle 350 and, via the throat section340C, mix the detergent with the water flowing through the venturi tube340. The throat section 340C is connected to a coupler 327 and a strawholder 325. A spring 326 is also provided within the detergent dock 321,such that the straw 333 can be released from the straw holder 325 bypressing the detergent dock 321 towards the detergent mount 106D.

FIGS. 18 and 19 show two configurations of the mixing assembly 330 usingan integrated tank 331 arranged in-line with the outer tube 106B of thetube assembly 106. A transparent window is provided on the wall of theintegrated tank 331 with volume indicators. The first configuration ofthe mixing assembly 330 is depicted in FIG. 18 with a hinged cap andstopper 332A at the top of the integrated tank 331. Detergent isrefilled into the integrated tank 331 through the opening 334A, anddetergent is drawn out from the integrated tank 331 via a straw 333 byventuri effect. In the second configuration of the mixing assembly 330shown in FIG. 19 , the hinged cap and stopper 332B are provided at thefront side. The opening 334B is provided on the front side. With bothconfigurations, the detergent is poured into the integrated tank 331 andthere is no limitation on the compatibility of the detergent bottle 350for attaching to the detergent dock 321.

In certain embodiments, the mixing of the detergent and water can alsobe achieved using gravitational force or a pump without departing fromthe spirit of the present disclosure. For example, a connection tube maybe arranged at the bottom-most end of the detergent bottle 350 or theintegrated tank 331, such that the detergent flows downwardly bygravitational force to mix with the water using a Y-shape connector. Inanother example, the pumping mechanism is provided to draw the detergentout of the detergent bottle 350 or the integrated tank 331 through thestraw 333. The pumping power is adjustable for controlling the amount ofdetergent needed. The detergent pumped out is then mixed with the waterusing a Y-shape connector.

FIG. 20 shows the first configuration of the spray mechanism at thefront end 100B of the apparatus 100 of FIG. 1 . The hose 312 is anexternal tube for transporting cleaning solution, which is distributedto a side nozzle 301 and a brush nozzle 302. The brush nozzle 302 isconfigured to spray cleaning solution onto a surface in front of theroller brush 502 or directly to the roller brush 502. The side nozzle301 is configured to spray cleaning solution onto a contact surface ofthe roller brush 502, or the adjacent surface to the roller brush 502such that cleaning solution can be discharged the surface beforecontacting the surface with the roller brush 502.

FIG. 21 shows the second configuration of the spray mechanism at thefront end 100B of the apparatus 100. A water hose 313 and a diluteddetergent hose 314 are respectively used for transporting water anddiluted detergent, which is distributed to a discharging bar 303. Boththe water hose 313 and the diluted detergent hose 314 are hidden withinthe tube assembly 106. The discharging bar 303 has holes arrangedhorizontally along the longitudinal length of the discharging bar 303,such that the cleaning solution may be discharged to the roller brush502.

FIG. 22 is a simplified schematic diagram illustrating the flow of waterand detergent in the apparatus 100. The hose dock 322 is a quick releasedock configured for coupling with and receiving an external water hose.The hose dock 322 is directly coupled to a control panel 324 havingvalves for controlling the water input and the mixing of detergent. Thecontrol panel 324 provides two outlet ports 324E, 324F. The first outletport 324E is coupled to a first inlet port of a Y-shape connector 342for transporting water. The second outlet port 324F is coupled to thecontraction section 340A of the venturi tube 340. The venturi tube 340makes use of venturi effect to draw detergent into the venturi tube 340via the throat section 340C, such that the detergent and the water aremixed to obtain diluted detergent. The diffusion section 340B is coupledto a check valve 341 and a second inlet port of the Y-shape connector342 for transporting the diluted detergent to the front end 100B. Whenthe control panel 324 is switched to “W”, the water from the hose dock322 is directed to the first outlet port 324E. Therefore, the Y-shapeconnector 342 receives water for discharge. When the control panel 324is switched to “W+D”, the water from the hose dock 322 is directed tothe second outlet port 324F. Therefore, the water is mixed with thedetergent at the venturi tube 340, and the Y-shape connector 342receives the diluted detergent for discharge.

FIG. 23 shows a side brush 521 attachable to a side of the front end100B that is generally perpendicular to an axis of rotation of theroller brush 502. In other words, as viewed from the front of theapparatus 100, the side brush 521 is coupled to the left lateral end ofthe transmission assembly 500, or to the right lateral end of the sidecover 430. To attach the side brush 521, the user simply aligns the sidebrush 521 and the transmission assembly 500 or the side cover 430, andmoves the side brush 521 or the apparatus 100 relatively towards eachother. Velcro may be used to secure the side brush 521. To detach theside brush 521, the user simply pulls the side brush 521 out from anyside to separate the side brush 521 from the apparatus 100. The sidebrush 521 provides a brush in the lateral direction for scrubbing thesurface of a wall, or the riser of a stair.

FIG. 24 shows an outdoor surface cleaning apparatus 100 in a thirdconfiguration, comprising a power head 104, a disc brush assembly 400,and a wheel assembly 450. The power head 104 includes two lateral endportions 104A, 104B and each may be arranged to be coupled with anattachment head having a cleaning attachment directly. The attachmenthead may comprise a disc brush assembly 400 as the cleaning attachment.The disc brush assembly 400 is driven by the drive assembly in the powerhead 104. On the front of the power head 104, a cleaning solution output(front nozzle 304) may be provided for discharging the cleaningsolution. The wheel assembly 450 is attached to right lateral endportion 104B of the power head 104, and the disc brush assembly 400 isattached to left lateral end portion 104A. As viewed from the front ofthe apparatus 100, as shown in FIG. 25 , the disc brush assembly 400 iscoupled to the left end of the power head 104, and the wheel assembly450 is coupled to the right end of the power head 104. To connect thedisc brush assembly 400, the user simply aligns the correspondingengagement features on the power head 104 and the disc brush assembly400, and then move the disc brush assembly 400 or the power head 104relatively towards each other. To disconnect the disc brush assembly400, the user simply disengages the engagement features on the powerhead 104 and the disc brush assembly 400, then move the disc brushassembly 400 or the power head 104 relatively away from each other. Incertain embodiments, the power head 104 is arranged to couple with thedisc brush 402 in the disc brush assembly 400 to drive the disc brush402. The wheel assembly 450 can be mounted similarly, but from the otherside of the power head 104, and with or without driving connectionbetween the wheel 451 and the power head 104.

FIG. 26 illustrates, in more detail, the construction of the disc brushassembly 400. The disc brush assembly 400 includes a housing formed bytwo housing parts 404A, 404B. The first housing part 404A is formounting the actuator 406 and the second housing part 404B is formounting the disc brush 402. A guard or cover 412 for the disc brush 402is attached to the second housing part 404B to which the disc brush 402mounts. The two housing parts 404A, 404B define aligned through-holesthrough which the spindle 414 extends. Bearings 420, 421 are provided inthe housing for supporting rotation of the spindle 414 about the axis E.The spindle 414 includes at both ends, keyed surfaces 414C, 414C′. Oneend 414C of the spindle 414 away from the disc brush 402 is for couplingwith a drive shaft 514 in the power head 104. The other end 414C′ of thespindle 414 is for coupling with a disc brush support sleeve 422 (aninner flange). This end 414C′ of the spindle 414 also defines an openingfor removably (e.g., threadedly) receiving a hex key head 426. Thespindle 414 is generally long and cylindrical, but 25 has a portion 414Owith opposed flat surfaces defining an obround cross section. Thedisc-like disc brush 402 is arranged to be mounted on an axiallyextending cylindrical part of the support sleeve 422. An outer discmember 424 (outer flange) is arranged on the opposite side of the discbrush 402. The hex key head 426 rotatably supports the disc brush 402between the inner and outer flanges 422, 424. A spindle lockingmechanism is arranged in the housing. The spindle locking mechanism isformed by a spindle lock button 416 protruding from the housing, aspindle lock plate 428 biased by a compression spring 429A supported bya supporting flange 429B in the second housing part 404B. The spindlelock plate 428 defines an opening 428O with an upper portion and a lowerportion of different sizes. The upper portion is sized to correspond to(e.g., slightly larger than) the short axis of the obround portion 414Oand is smaller than the long axis of the obround portion 414O, while thelower portion is sized to correspond to the long axis of the obroundportion 414O (also the diameter of the remaining cylindrical portion).The spindle lock assembly is used for facilitating replacement orremoval of the disc brush 402. To remove the disc brush 402, the userhas to actuate the spindle lock actuator 416, depress it such that theupper portion of the opening on the spindle lock plate surrounds theobround portion 414O. In this way, the spindle 414 cannot rotate as theupper portion of the opening 428O is sized smaller than a long axis ofthe obround portion 414O. When the actuator 416 is actuated, the usercan use a hex key to engage with and rotate the hex key head 426, torelease the hex key head 426 from the spindle 414, thereby removing orreplacing the disc brush 402, or the inner and outer flanges 422, 424,if needed.

FIGS. 27 and 28 show the front end 100B of an outdoor surface cleaningapparatus 100 in a fourth configuration, comprising a power head 104, atransmission assembly 500, a brush head 105, and a circular side brush522 or a dome-shaped brush 523. The front end 100B of the apparatus 100is in a cantilever configuration, therefore the power head 104 includesonly one lateral end portion 104A arranged to be coupled with anattachment head having a cleaning attachment (brush head 105 and theattached circular side brush 522 or dome-shaped brush 523) indirectlythrough the transmission assembly 500. The transmission assembly 500 ismechanically coupled to the left lateral end portion 104A of the powerhead 104 and the brush head 105. The drive assembly in the power head104 is arranged to couple with the transmission assembly 500, and thelower part of the transmission assembly 500 is coupled to a first end ofthe brush head 105 for driving the roller brush 502 in the brush head105. The apparatus is in a cantilever configuration having thetransmission assembly 500 for connecting the power head 104 and thebrush head 105. In certain embodiments, the power head 104 may include arotary knob 436, which is provided on an opposite side to thetransmission assembly 500 for adjusting the flow of the cleaningsolution. The rotary knob 436 may control a valve on the hose 312, whichis configured to control the flow rate from fully open to fully closed.The cleaning solution output may include one or more front nozzles 304and a side nozzle 305. In certain embodiments, a nozzle selector 435 mayalso be provided. The nozzle selector 435 is a slider for selectingbetween the front nozzles 304 (or the brush nozzle 302) and the sidenozzle 305.

Referring to FIG. 27 , a circular side brush 522 is attached to anengagement end 501C on a second end of the brush head 105, which iscoupled to the right drive shaft 501B for transferring the torque fromthe transmission assembly 500. Therefore, when the roller brush 502 isdriven to rotate by the power head 104, the circular side brush 522 isalso rotated with the same speed. Unlike the prior configurations havingsymmetric design of the left and right lateral end portions 104A, 104B,the fourth configuration has an asymmetric design of the left and rightlateral end portions 104C, 104D. The right lateral end portion 104D hasan opening to receive the shaft of the roller brush 502 and allows theshaft to pass through for receiving the circular side brush 522. Abearing is also provided to allow the shaft to rotate relative to theright lateral end portion 104D. The right lateral end portion 104D canincrease the bending strength of the roller brush so that the rightlateral end portion 104D would not bend towards the power head 104during use. To connect the circular side brush 522 to the engagement end501C, the user simply aligns the circular side brush 522 and theengagement end 501C, and then moves the circular side brush 522 or theapparatus 100 relatively towards each other. The engagement of theengagement end 501C and the circular side brush 522 may provide a clicksound (by material contact) to indicate that the engagement issuccessful. Referring to FIG. 28 , a dome-shaped brush 523 is attachedto the second end of the brush head 105, such that the dome-shaped brush523 is also driven to rotate by the power head 104 when the roller brush502 rotates. By using the circular side brush 522 or the dome-shapedbrush 523, a user can easily brush a surface in a lateral direction,which is particularly useful for cleaning the surface of a wall, or theriser 11 of a stair 10. The circular side brush 522 may be a wire brush.The circular side brush 522 may also be a disc-like blade.

FIGS. 28 and 29 show a twisting head mechanism of the front end 100B ofthe apparatus 100. A rotatable joint 440 may be provided between thefront end 100B and the tube assembly 106. As view from the front of theapparatus 100 as shown in FIG. 28 , the front end 100B at a horizontalstate is rotatable clockwisely by 90 degrees to a vertical state usingthe rotatable joint 440, which is demonstrated in FIG. 29 . When thefront end 100B is twisted, the side nozzle 305 can effectively dischargecleaning solution to the circular side brush 522 or the dome-shapedbrush 523. In certain embodiments, the dome-shaped brush 523 furthercomprises an inner dome, a plurality of bristles 523C arrangedcircumferentially around the inner dome 523B, and a roller ball 523Asupported by a socket which is mounted on the top of the inner dome523B. In an alternative embodiment as shown in FIG. 30 , the socket andthe roller ball 523A are extended out by an arm 523D having a lengthlonger than the length of a bristle 523C, thereby the arm 523D canproject the roller ball 523A out from the center of the inner dome 523B.The dome-shaped brush 523 allows brushing of a lateral surface when theapparatus 100 is at a horizontal state, or a horizontal surface when theapparatus 100 is at a vertical state.

The outdoor surface cleaning apparatus 100 may take different shapes andforms. For example, the outdoor surface cleaning apparatus 100 mayinclude any number of handles 102. The battery receptacle may bearranged away from the handle 102, e.g., on the power head 104. The tubeassembly 106 connecting between the handle 102 and the power head 104may not be adjustable. The clamp 106C may be omitted. The handle 102need not be arranged at the topmost end of the apparatus 100, and neednot extend rearwardly. The auxiliary handle 110 may be fixedly connectedto the tube assembly 106, or may even be omitted. The auxiliary handle110 may not be adjustable with respect to the tube assembly 106. Thepower head 104 may include more than one motor 201. The roller brush502, the circular side brush 522, or the dome-shaped brush 523 may havedifferent shape and form. For example, the roller brush 502 may includeany brittles arrangement.

Referring to FIGS. 31 to 33 , aspects of an outdoor cleaning apparatusaccording to embodiments of the present disclosure is shown as anoutdoor cleaning device 3100. It is noted that FIG. 31 shows a frontview of the outdoor cleaning device 3100, FIG. 32 shows back or rearview of the outdoor cleaning device 3100, and FIG. 33 shows a side viewof the outdoor cleaning device 3100. The outdoor cleaning device 3100includes a main body 3102 having a main body structure 3108, a firsthandle 3104, a longitudinal shaft 3106A, a second handle 3110, and aroller brush 3130. As shown in FIGS. 31 and 33 , the longitudinal shaft3106A may be attached to the main body 3102 via an attachment mechanism3106C. The attachment mechanism 3106C may be configured to secure thelongitudinal shaft 3106A to the main body 3102 via a snap fit (e.g., theattachment mechanism 3106C may include an opening having a groove on aninterior surface of the opening and an end of the longitudinal shaft3106A may include a ridge that may snap into the groove to secure thelongitudinal shaft 3106A to the main body 3102), a compression fitand/or a friction fit (e.g., the attachment mechanism 3106C may includean opening having a tapered profile that gets narrow towards an end ofthe longitudinal shaft 3106A such that the end of the longitudinal shaft3106A is compressed as the longitudinal shaft 3106A is pressed into theattachment mechanism 3106C and secured in place by the compressive forceor friction force), threaded engagement (i.e., an end portion of thelongitudinal shaft 3106A may have male threads and the attachmentmechanism 3106C may include female threads or the end portion of thelongitudinal shaft 3106A may have female threads and the attachmentmechanism 3106C may include male threads), a pin (e.g., the attachmentmechanism 3106C and an end of the longitudinal shaft 3106A may eachinclude two apertures that are axially aligned so that a pin, such as acotter pin, may be inserted through a first one of the apertures of theattachment mechanism 3106C and then through both apertures of thelongitudinal shaft 3106A and out the other aperture of the attachmentmechanism 3106C), or other techniques, such as a clamp (e.g., the clamp106C).

As illustrated in FIGS. 31-33 , the first handle 3104 may be attached tothe longitudinal shaft 3106A at an end of the longitudinal shaft 3106Aopposite an end of the longitudinal shaft 3106A attached to theattachment mechanism 3106C. In an aspect, the first handle 3104 mayinclude features similar to the handle 102 of FIGS. 1-3, 12, and 16 ,such as an activation means for controlling operation of the outdoorcleaning device 3100. As described above, the activation mechanism mayinclude the trigger 108, the speed control switch 102A, aforward-reverse button to switch the rotation direction of the rollerbrush 3130, and the like. One difference between the handle 3104 and thehandle 102 is that the handle 3104 may not include features forattaching a detergent bottle to the first handle 3104. An auxiliaryhandle 110 may be attached to the longitudinal shaft 3106A between thefirst end of the longitudinal shaft 3106C (e.g., the end to which thefirst handle 3104) and the main body 3102. The auxiliary handle 110 maybe attached to the longitudinal shaft 3106C as described above withreference to FIG. 3 .

Instead of attaching the detergent bottle to the first handle 3102, themain body 3102 may be configured to receive a fluid tank 3110. The fluidtank 3110 may be configured to store a volume of a cleaning solution,such as a detergent or concentrated cleaning solution. In some aspects,the fluid tank 3110 may be positioned on a front side (FIG. 31 ) of themain body 3102, as can be seen in FIGS. 31 and 33 . In additional oralternative aspects, the fluid tank may be positioned on a back side3204 of the main body 3102, as shown in FIG. 46 .

In an aspect, the main body structure 3108 may be formed from a bodystructure 3108A and a body structure 3108B. The body structures 3108A,3108B may be formed from a hard plastic material, metal, or othermaterials and may be secured together via screws, a snap fit, or othertechniques. The body structures 3108A, 3108B may define cavities withinthe main body structure 3108 to allow various control and operationalfeatures to be provided, such as wiring from a battery to the activationmeans located on the handle 3104 to activate the outdoor cleaning device3100 or to route tubes within the main body structure 3108 to establishfluid communication between one or more fluid sources and at least onenozzle of the outdoor cleaning device 3100, as described in more detailbelow. The main body structure 3108 may include a battery compartment,shown in FIGS. 31 and 33 as being covered by a battery cover 3120. Abattery cover locking mechanism 3122 may be provided to secure the coverin place and protect a battery used to provide operational power to theoutdoor cleaning device 3100. A locking mechanism similar to the batterycover locking mechanism 3122 may be provided to secure the fluid tank3110 to the main body, as shown in FIG. 34 . Referring briefly to FIG.34 , the battery cover 3120 may enclose a battery compartment in which abattery 3410 may be provided. The battery 314O may be a battery pack, abattery cell, or other type of battery. Once secured within the batterycompartment, the battery 3410 may provide operational power to theoutdoor cleaning device. The battery cover locking mechanism 3122 may bea buckle or clip that snaps closed to secure the battery cover 3120 inplace. It is noted that securing the battery cover 3120 in place using abuck or clip has been described for purposes of illustration, ratherthan by way of limitation and the other mechanisms may be utilized tosecure the battery cover 3120 in place according to embodiments of thepresent disclosure.

In an aspect, a gasket or seal formed of a soft waterproof material(e.g., rubber, silicone, etc.) may be provided on an edge 3422 of thebattery cover 3120 or alternatively on a surface of the batterycompartment (e.g., a surface that comes into contact with the batterycover 3120) in order to provide a water tight seal and prevent water orother liquids from getting inside the battery compartment andpotentially damaging the battery 3410 or other electrical components. Inan aspect, the battery cover 3120 may be secured to the main body 3102via a hinge mechanism. For example, the battery cover 3120 may includetwo apertures 3416 and the main body 3102 may include one or more pins3414 that may be inserted through the apertures 3416. Once secured tothe main body 3102, the battery cover 3120 may open by pivoting about alongitudinal axis of the pin(s) 3414 to provide access to the batterycompartment and the battery 3410, such as to remove the battery 3410 forcharging on a charging dock and securing the battery 3410 in place priorto use of the outdoor cleaning device 3100. It is noted that while FIGS.31-34 illustrate the battery cover 3120 as pivoting upward, in someaspects the battery cover 3120 may pivot downward to expose the batterycompartment and the battery 3410 (e.g., by switching the locations ofthe battery cover locking mechanism 3122 and the two apertures 3416located on the battery cover 3120 and the one or more pins 3414 coupledto the main body 3102). Moreover, the battery cover 3120 may also beconfigured to open to the side, rather than upward or downward, in someconfigurations of outdoor cleaning devices of embodiments.

As can be seen in FIGS. 31-34 , the battery is positioned low on themain body 3102. Due to its low positioning proximate the roller brush3130, a weight of the battery 3410 may provide a downward force, shownin FIG. 33 by arrow 3302, on the roller brush 3130. The downward force3302 provided by the weight of the battery 3410 (FIG. 34 ) may enhance acleaning capability of the roller brush 3130 and/or reduce the need fora user to apply a downward force to the outdoor cleaning device 3100,thereby simplifying operation of the outdoor cleaning device 3100. Forexample, the downward force 3302 may cause the bristles of the rollerbrush 3130 to apply more pressure to the surface being cleaned and mayallow more dirt, grease, or other substances to be removed from thesurface. A weight of the fluid within the fluid tank 3110 may furtherincrease the downward force 3302—however, the fluid within the fluidtank 3110 will decrease over time as it is dispensed during operation ofthe outdoor cleaning device 3100.

As shown in FIG. 31 , the brush head 3130 may be positioned at a base ofthe main body 3102. As shown in FIG. 32 , the brush head 3130 includes aplurality of bristles 3220. The brush head may be attached to the mainbody 3102 via a rotatable joint (e.g., the rotatable joint 440 of FIGS.28 and 29 ) or another mechanism (e.g., a ball joint, etc.). In certainaspects, at least one side brush 314O may be provided. The at least oneside brush 314O may be configured to removably attach to a longitudinalend of the brush head 3130. For example, the at least one side brush314O may include a shaft 3144 and the longitudinal end of the brush head3130 may include a receptacle 3210 configured to receive the shaft 3144,as illustrated in FIG. 32 . In an aspect, a release button 3310 (shownin FIG. 33 ) may be configured to cover the receptacle 3210 when the atleast one side brush 314O is not in use and to secure the at least oneside brush 314O to the brush head 3130, as described in more detailbelow. The release button 3310 may be adapted to be removably insertedor attached to the receptacle 3210 through an aperture 3204 on the atleast one side brush 314O. The release button 3310 may be depressed toremove the at least one side brush from the receptacle 3210 to provideaccess to the receptacle 3210 and enable insertion of the shaft 3144 ofthe at least one side brush 314O. As shown in FIG. 32 , the at least oneside brush 314O may include a plate 3146, a plurality of bristles 3142disposed on a first side of the plate 3146 and extending outward fromthe plate 3146. The shaft 3144 may be disposed on a second side of theplate 3146 opposite the first side of the plate 3146 and may extend fromthe second side of plate 3146 in an axial direction that isperpendicular to the surface of the plate 3146. In some aspects theshaft 3144 and the receptacle 3210 may have cooperating form factors.For example, in FIG. 32 the form factor shown for the shaft 3144 is ahexagonal rod and the receptacle 3210 may have a hexagonal opening toreceive the hexagonal rod. It is noted that while a hexagonal formfactor is shown in FIG. 32 , such description has been provided forpurposes of illustration rather than by way of limitation and that otherform factors may be utilized according to the concepts disclosed herein,such as square shapes, rectangular shapes, irregular shapes, etc. In anaspect, the at least one side brush 314O may be secured into thereceptacle 3210 via a snap fit, a friction fit, a compression fit, athreaded fit, etc. depending on the particular configuration of theattachment means 3142 and the receptacle 3210. An exemplary embodimentof securing elements to the brush head 3130 using the release button3310 is described in more detail below.

As illustrated in FIG. 33 , a hose 3202 may be provided. The hose 3202may be configured to transport a first fluid to the outdoor cleaningdevice 3100. For example, the hose 3202 may be a water hose that bringswater to the cleaning device 3100. The main body 3102 may include a hoseconnector or hose socket 322 for connecting the hose 3202 to the mainbody 3102. As described above, the outdoor cleaning device 3100 mayinclude a mixing means for mixing the first fluid provided by the hose3202 with a second fluid stored in the fluid tank 3110, which is shownin insert 3304. The mixing means may be disposed within the main body3102. In an aspect, the mixing means may be a venturi, such as theventuri described above with reference to FIG. 22 and may be in fluidcommunication with the hose 3202 via the hose socket 322 to allow fluidtransported by the hose 3202 to reach the mixing means. It is noted thatutilizing a venturi to provide mixing may eliminate the need to includea pump, thereby reducing the complexity and cost of manufacturing theoutdoor cleaning device 3100 and minimizing the number of componentsthat may fail during operation. Additionally, the fluid mixing means maybe in fluid communication with the fluid tank 3120, thereby allowing themixing means to mix the fluid transported by the hose 3202 with thefluid stored in the fluid tank 3120. In aspects, a mixing controller maybe provided to control mixing of different fluids, such the fluid storedin the fluid tank 3120 and the fluid transported by the hose 3202. In anaspect the mixing controller may include the control panel 324 and lever324D, as described and illustrated above with reference to FIGS. 12, 13,and 15 . The mixing controller may also enable the outdoor cleaningdevice 3100 to forego mixing fluids, such as to dispense only one fluid(e.g., the fluid transported by the hose 3202, the fluid stored in thefluid tank 3120, etc.). In an additional or alternative aspect, themixing controller may also enable the outdoor cleaning device 3100 to beoperated without any dispensing of fluids (i.e., a dry mode ofoperation). In still other aspects, the mixing controller may enable theoutdoor cleaning device 3100 to be operated while only dispensing thecleaning solution stored in the fluid tank 3120, such as to dispenseconcentrated cleaning solution onto surfaces soiled by materials thatmay be difficult to clean effectively with diluted cleaning solution. Insuch a scenario, the concentrated cleaning solution may be dispensed andworked into the soiled surface first and then a diluted mixture of thecleaning solution and the fluid transported by the hose 3202 may be usedto perform a final cleaning or the final cleaning may only utilize thefluid transported by the hose 3202. In such an implementation, the fluidtank 3120 may include a first output that is in fluid communication withthe mixing means and a second output that is in direct communicationwith at least one nozzle.

As shown in FIG. 33 , the hose 3202 may be secured in place by one ormore retention components 3312. In an aspect, the one or more retentioncomponents 3312 may include straps, hooks, or other components that maybe used to secure the hose 3202 in a desired orientation relative to theoutdoor cleaning device 3100. In some aspects, the outdoor cleaningdevice 3100 may include a rubber squeegee 513, which may be attached toa rear lower portion of a guard 3150. Exemplary aspects of the guard3150 are shown and described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 35to 38 .

Referring to FIG. 35 , a fragmentary perspective view of the nozzles ofthe outdoor surface cleaning apparatus of FIGS. 31-34 showing exemplarynozzle locations is provided. As shown in FIG. 35 , the guard 3150 mayat least partially surround the brush head 3130. A plurality of nozzlesmay be disposed on the guard 3150. The plurality of nozzles may includenozzles 3510, 3520, 3530, 3540, 3550. Each nozzle may be in fluidcommunication with an output of the mixing means to enable the nozzlesto dispense fluids from the hose 3202 and/or the fluid tank 3120. Theplurality of nozzles may be configured to spray fluids onto a surface tobe cleaned, directly or indirectly. For example, as shown by the largearrows in FIG. 35 , the nozzles 3520, 3530, and 3540 may spray fluids infront of the brush head 3130 and the nozzles 3510 and 3550 may sprayfluids to the sides of the brush head 3130. Alternatively, the nozzles3520, 3530, and 3540 may spray fluids to the bristles of the brush head3130, or first to the upper surface of the guard 3150 and then to thebristles of the brush head 3130; and the nozzles 3510, 3550 may sprayfluids to the bristles of the side brush 314O. In some aspects, some ofthe nozzles 3510, 3520, 3530, 3540, 3550 may be configured to sprayfluids onto the bristles of the brush head 3130 while other ones of the3510, 3520, 3530, 3540, 3550 may be configured to spray fluids onto thesurface to be cleaned. It is noted that while FIG. 35 illustrates theplurality of nozzles as including 5 nozzles (i.e., the nozzles 3510,3520, 3530, 3540, 3550), outdoor cleaning devices in accordance withaspects of the present disclosure may include more than 5 nozzles orless than 5 nozzles in some embodiments. Moreover, outdoor cleaningdevices in accordance with the present disclosure may include a singlenozzle if desired. Thus, it is to be understood that outdoor cleaningdevices configured in accordance with the embodiments disclosed hereininclude at least one nozzle.

As explained above, the spraying of fluids may be controlled via themixing controller, which may facilitate selectively mixing of differentfluids, such as a first fluid transported by the hose 3202 and a secondfluid (e.g., from the fluid tank 3120) for output via the plurality ofnozzles. In a first configuration the mixing controller may beconfigured to control output of only the first fluid by the plurality ofnozzles, in a second configuration the mixing controller may beconfigured to control output of mixed fluid (e.g., a fluid produced bymixing the first fluid and a second fluid) by the plurality of nozzles,and in a third configuration the mixing controller may be configured toprevent any outputting of fluids by the plurality of nozzles (i.e., adry-run or dry operation mode). It is noted that while 3 modes ofoperation (i.e., 1 fluid, 2 fluid, and no fluid) have been described,outdoor cleaning devices in accordance with embodiments of the presentdisclosure may include mixing controllers that enable operation in morethan three modes (e.g., the dispensing of cleaning solution only modedescribed above) or less than three modes if desired (e.g., a water onlymode, a water and cleaning solution mixture mode, but no dry mode).

Additional aspects of the guard 3150 and the plurality of nozzles ofFIG. 35 are shown in FIG. 36 . For example, FIG. 36 illustrates theorientation of the nozzle 3150 and how it points to the side (at leastpartially) of the outdoor cleaning device 3100. The nozzle 3510 may havean orientation similar to the orientation of the nozzle 3550. Asillustrated in FIG. 37 , the guard 3150 may be formed as a multi-partguard. The multi-part guard may include an inner guard cover 3720 and anouter guard cover 3710. The inner guard cover 3720 and an outer guardcover 3710 together defines an inner space therein. The inner space mayfacilitate routing of other components of the outdoor cleaning devicesof embodiments, such as tubing for establishing fluid communicationbetween one or more of the nozzles and the mixing device and the hosesocket, as described in more detail with reference to FIG. 64 .

Additionally, the inner space between the inner guard cover 3720 and theouter guard cover 3710 may include additional structures that may beutilized to secure or mount components of the outdoor cleaning device inplace, such as one or more of the nozzles. For instance, a peripheraledge of the inner guard cover 3720 may define grooves 3702 and aperipheral edge of the outer guard cover 3710 may define grooves 3712.The grooves 3702 of the inner guard cover 3720 and the grooves 3712 ofthe outer guard cover 3710 may be configured to secure the plurality ofnozzles in place. To illustrate and referring to FIGS. 65-67 , a seriesof images demonstrating features for securing nozzles in place using aninner guard cover and an outer guard cover in accordance with aspects ofthe present disclosure are shown. As shown in FIG. 65 , the outer guardcover 3710 includes the groove 3712, a cradle 6510, and a notch 6512.Similarly, FIG. 65 illustrates the lower guard cover 3720 with thegroove 3702, a cradle 6520, and a notch 6522. A nozzle 6530 is shown andincludes a shaft 6532, a retention ring 6534, a barbed connector 6536, atip portion 6538, and an opening 6540. The barbed connector 6536 may beconfigured to secure tubing (e.g., tubing transporting a fluid receivedfrom the mixing device or a fluid received from the hose connected tothe hose socket 322) to the nozzle 6530, as described and illustrated inmore detail with respect to FIG. 64 below. It is noted that FIG. 65shows the nozzle 6530 as including the barbed connector 6536 forpurposes of illustration rather than by way of limitation and that othertypes of connectors (e.g., threaded connectors, quick connect fittings,etc.) may be used to secure tubing to the nozzle 6530 and establishfluid communication between the nozzle 6530 and one or more sources offluids. The retention ring 6534 may be formed as a ridge that extendsperpendicularly from an external surface of the nozzle 6530 proximatethe tip portion 6538. The ridge may be present along the entirety of theexternal surface of the nozzle 6530 or may be only be present on oneside (e.g., a side proximate the notch 6512 or 6522) of the nozzle 6530,two adjacent or opposing sides (e.g., top and bottom, left and rightsides, top and left sides, top and right sides, bottom and left sides,bottom and right sides, etc.) of the nozzle 6530, or on three sides(e.g., top/bottom/left sides, top/bottom/right sides, top/left/rightsides, bottom/left/right sides, etc.).

The retention ring 6534 may be configured to rest within the notch 6512and the notch 6522, as shown in FIG. 66 , and a portion of the shaft6532 may rest within the cradles 6510, 6520. It is to be appreciatedthat, as shown in FIGS. 66-67 , when the guard cover 3150 is formed bysecuring the inner guard cover 3720 to the outer guard cover 3710, theshaft 6532 of the nozzle 6530 may be sandwiched between the cradles6510, 6520 and the retention ring 6534 may be sandwiched between thenotches 6512, 6522. Additionally, the tip portion 6538 may be sandwichedbetween the grooves 3702, 3712 such that the opening 6540 of the nozzleis flush with an exterior surface of the inner guard cover 3720 and theouter guard cover 3710, extends slightly beyond (e.g., 1 mm, 2 mm, etc.)the exterior surface of the inner guard cover 3720 and the outer guardcover 3710, or is recessed slightly inside (e.g., 1 mm, etc.) of thegrooves 3702, 3712. Securing the nozzle 6530 within the guard 3150 inthis manner may prevent the nozzle 6530 from moving during operation ofthe outdoor cleaning device. It is also noted that while FIGS. 65-67illustrate the above-described concepts with respect to a single nozzle6530, the inner guard cover 3720 and the outer guard cover 3710 may beconfigured with different sizes and shapes of grooves, notches, andcradles to accommodate nozzles of different shapes and sizes, includingbut not limited to multi-nozzle devices or assemblies (e.g., the multinozzle device or assembly of FIG. 38 that includes the nozzles 3820,3830, 3840, 3850). As shown in FIG. 67 , once seated in the properorientation (e.g., the retention ring being disposed in the notches ofthe inner and outer guard cover and the shaft being disposed on thecradles of the inner and outer guard cover), the tip portion 6538 mayextend to, almost to, or beyond, the peripheral edge of the cover 3150so as to allow the opening 6540 to dispense liquids delivered to thenozzle 6530 as described herein.

It is noted that the terms “top,” “bottom,” “left,” and “right” are usedto illustrate potential locations of the ridge(s) configured to rest atleast partially within the notches 6512, 6522 relative to each other.For example, the “bottom” side of the nozzle 6530 may be a side situatedproximate the inner surface of the inner guard cover 3720, such that aridge resting within the notch 6522 is located on the “bottom” of thenozzle 6530, and the “top” side of the nozzle 6530 may be a sidesituated proximate the outer guard cover 3710, such that a ridge restingwithin the notch 6512 is located on the “top” of the nozzle.Alternatively, the “bottom” side of the nozzle 6530 may be a sidesituated proximate the inner surface of the outer guard cover 3710, suchthat a ridge resting within the notch 6512 is located on the “bottom” ofthe nozzle 6530, and the “top” side of the nozzle 6530 may be a sidesituated proximate the inner guard cover 3720, such that a ridge restingwithin the notch 6522 is located on the “top” of the nozzle 6530. It isalso noted that ridges disposed on one or more of the “sides” of thenozzle 6530 may be configured to prevent the nozzle 6530 from slidingback into the interior space between the inner guard cover 3720 and theouter guard cover 3710 as indicated by arrow 6554. For example, the“side” ridges may extend outwardly from the exterior surface of thenozzle 6530 and sit between ridges 6550, 6552 and the peripheral edge ofthe inner guard cover 3720. The side ridges of the nozzle 6530 may comeinto contact with the ridges 6550, 6552, thereby limiting movement ofthe nozzle in the direction indicted by arrow 6554. It is noted that theouter guard cover 3710 may be similarly configured, such that the ridges6556, 6558 may similarly limit movement of the nozzle 6530 in thedirection indicated by the arrow 6554.

It is noted that while the description above (and FIG. 64 describedbelow) illustrate nozzles that may be connected to tubing to deliverfluids from the fluid branching device 3870 to each nozzle, in someaspects the nozzles may be formed via grooves formed on the interiorsurfaces of the inner guard cover 3720 and the outer guard cover 3710.For example and referring to FIG. 69 , the inner cover 3720 of FIG. 37is shown from the perspective of looking down the length of arrow 3704of FIG. 37 (i.e., viewing the inner cover 3720 from the front). As shownin FIG. 69 , a plurality of fluid channels 6902 may be formed by groovesdisposed on a top surface 6922 of the inner cover 3720 and/or a lowersurface 6912 of the outer guard cover 3710. Each nozzle may correspondto an end of one of the fluid channels 6902. Thus, when the outer guardcover 3710 is secured to the inner guard cover 3720, the fluid channels6902 may form fluid pathways that transport fluids (e.g., the output ofthe mixing device, the hose socket, etc.) to the nozzle(s) defined bythe openings at the end of the fluid channels formed by the groovesdisposed on the inner guard cover 3720 and outer guard cover 3710. It isnoted that insert 6910 shows a partial view of the nozzle 3850, viewedfrom the direction indicated by arrow 6930, that is formed when theinner guard cover 3720 is secured to the outer guard cover 3710. Forexample, insert 6910 shows a groove 6940 formed on the upper surface6922 of the inner guard cover 3720 and a groove 6950 formed on a lowersurface 6912 of the outer guard cover 3710. In some aspects, the groovesforming the fluid pathways may be disposed on only one of the guardcovers, rather than on both, resulting in smaller fluid pathways, whichmay provide greater pressure as the fluid exits the nozzle(s). It is tobe appreciated that the inner guard cover 3720 and the outer guard cover3710 are shown in insert 6910 as being separated by a small space forpurposes of emphasizing the upper surface 6922 of the inner guard cover3720 and the lower surface 6912 of the outer guard cover 3710 and thatthe inner guard cover 3720 and the outer guard cover 3710 may not beseparated when secured together to form the cover 3150. However, in someaspects the inner guard cover 3720 and the outer guard cover 3710 may beconfigured to provide at least some space between them when connected.For example, a gasket or other type of sealing mechanism may be placedbetween the inner guard cover 3720 and the outer guard cover 3710 inorder to ensure that the fluid pathways are sealed and prevent fluidsfrom leaking between interior space between the inner guard cover 3720and the outer guard cover 3710.

Referring to FIG. 39 is a fractional view of a battery compartment of anoutdoor cleaning device in accordance with aspects of the presentdisclosure. As described above, the outdoor cleaning device 3100 mayinclude a battery compartment configured to receive a battery. Theoutdoor cleaning device 3100 may include a drain hole 3902 within thebattery compartment of the main body structure 3108 to enable anyliquids that do enter the battery compartment to be drained quickly andprevent damage to the battery or other components. The drain hole 3902may connect to a drain line that allows any accumulated liquids to beremoved from the battery compartment rapidly and minimize the chancesthat the battery 3410 is damaged. For example, the drain line may beconfigured to allow any collected fluids to exit the outdoor cleaningdevice 3100 proximate the cover 3150. Any fluids exiting the drain linemay then roll off of the cover 3150.

It is noted that the drain hole 3902 may be provide in addition to, oras an alternative to, the seal or gasket described above that may beprovided on the edge of the battery cover 3120 or around the edge of thebattery compartment. For example and as shown in FIG. 39 , at 3906, achannel or groove 3904 is shown. The channel 3904 may be formed byportions of the housing 3910 forming the battery compartment, such aschannel walls 3912 and 3914. The channel 3904 may completely surroundthe battery compartment. The channel 3904 itself may prevent at least tosome ingress of water into the battery compartment. As shown at 3906, aseal or gasket 3908 may be disposed within the channel 3904. The seal orgasket 3908 may be formed of a soft material, such as rubber, and whenthe battery cover 3120 is put in place (and locked via the battery coverlocking mechanism 3122) it may press against the seal or gasket 3908 toform a water proof seal around the battery compartment and preventliquids from entering into the battery compartment during operation ofthe outdoor cleaning device 3100. The seal or gasket 3908 may be formedwithin the channel 3904 via an over molding process where the softmaterial is molded onto the portion of the housing 3910 forming thechannel 3904. Alternatively, the seal or gasket 3908 may be a standalonecomponent that may be placed within the channel 3904 and held in placevia a compression fit and by the battery cover 3120 once secured intoplace.

Referring to FIGS. 40 and 41 , additional aspects of the fluid tank areshown. The fluid tank 3110 (shown as transparent to illustrate internalaspects of the fluid tank) may include a drain straw 4010 that allowsfluid from within the fluid tank 3110 to be removed, such as via themixing device or for direct delivery via the plurality of nozzles. In anaspect, a volume of the fluid tank 3110 may correspond to a battery lifeof the battery 3410 such that the outdoor cleaning device 3100 may beoperable to continuously dispense a mixture of a first fluid (e.g., afluid transported by the hose 3202) and a second fluid (e.g., a fluidstored in the fluid tank 3110) until the fluid tank 3110 is empty. Incertain embodiments, the fluid tank has a volume of 0.3L to 2L or 0.5Lto 1L. As shown in FIG. 41 , a fluid tank interface may be provided toallow the fluid tank 3110 to be secured to the main body 3102. The fluidtank interface may include a recessed region 4114 surrounded by a raisedlip 4110. The recessed region 4114 may receive the fluid tank or aportion thereof (as shown in FIG. 40 ) and the raised lip 4110 may helpsecure the fluid tank 3110 in position during operation of the outdoorcleaning device 3100. A drain hole 4112 may be provided at the base ofthe recessed region to allow any spilled liquids (e.g., liquids spilledduring filling of the fluid tank 3110 or other liquids). Additionalmechanisms may also be provided to secure the fluid tank 3110 in place,such as a clamping mechanism (e.g., buckle 3430 of FIG. 34 ).

Referring to FIG. 42 , aspects of a driving means for providing adriving force to the brush head of an outdoor cleaning device inaccordance with aspects of the present disclosure is shown. In someembodiments, the driving means may include a motor 4210, a transmission,and a driveshaft 4212. In FIG. 42 , the transmission may include a gearchain that may be protected by a cover that includes a left-side cover4220A and a right-side cover 4220B. FIGS. 43 to 45 illustrate aspects ofa gear chain transmission that includes a plurality of gears 4310. Theplurality of gears may enable the motor 4210 to be disposed a thresholddistance from the brush head 3130. The plurality of gears may also allowa larger torque output to the roller brush. For example, the pluralityof gears of the gear chain may span at least the threshold distance,which may enable the motor 4210 to be disposed further away from thebrush head 3130 in order to mitigate damage to the motor by backsplashof the fluid sprayed by the plurality of nozzles as the fluid is sweptby the bristles of the brush head 3130. In contrast to the gear chain ofFIGS. 43-45 , the driving means may include the motor 4210 and a gearand shaft transmission. The gear and shaft transmission may include oneor more gears, such as a gear 4710 and a gear 4712, and a shaft 4720.The shaft 4720 may allow the power or driving force generated by themotor 4210 to be delivered to the brush head 3130 while allowing themotor 4210 to be located further away, such as a threshold distance thatmay prevent damage to the motor 4210 from water splashed by the brushhead 3130 during cleaning. In some embodiments, the distance between theconnection between the motor 4210 and the driveshaft 4212 and thelongitudinal axis of the brush head may be 104 mm. The brush head 3130may have a radius of 51 mm. In such an embodiment, the thresholddistance for distancing the motor 4210 from the brush head 3130 may be53 mm. It is noted that while separating the motor 4210 from the brushhead 3130 by the threshold distance and providing various covers (e.g.,the inner guard cover 3720, the outer guard cover 3710, the left-sidecover 4220A, and the right-side cover 4220B) may minimize the likelihoodthat liquids damage the motor 4210 and the mechanisms for transferringpower generated by the motor 4210 to the brush head 3130 (e.g., thedriveshaft 4212, gear chain, etc.), additional mechanisms may also beprovided by outdoor cleaning devices configured in accordance with thepresent disclosure, as described in more detail with reference to FIGS.63A-63C below.

Referring to FIGS. 48-53 , partial views illustrating aspects of thebrush head 3130 are shown. FIG. 48 illustrates a portion of the brushhead 3130 and more particularly one of the roller brush portions 3802,3804 of FIG. 38 . The roller brush portions 3802, 3804 may include acylindrical member 4810 to which bristles may be attached. It is notedthat a second roller brush may be disposed proximate a first end 4812 ofthe cylindrical member 4810. As shown in more detail in FIG. 49 , thecylindrical member 4810 may be hollow to allow an axial locking member4830, a rotational locking member 4910, a release button 3310, and anoutput shaft 4920 to be inserted into the cylindrical member 4810. Theoutput shaft 4920 may be inserted through the rotational locking member4910 such that a distal end of the output shaft 4920 extends from adistal end 5102 of the rotational locking member 4910, as shown in FIG.51 . The portion of the output shaft 4920 extending beyond the distalend 5102 may include a conical end 5110 and an annular groove 5120. Theconical end 5110 and the annular groove 5120 may be configured to securethe output shaft 4920 to the axial locking member 4830, as described andillustrated in more detail with respect to FIGS. 58-64 . As shown inFIG. 52 , the output shaft 4920 may include a D shaft portion 5220having a flat surface 5210, as shown in cross-section 5302 of FIG. 53 .

The D shaft portion 5220 may be configured to interface with a D shapedborehole 5702 extending axially through the rotational locking member4910, as shown in FIG. 57A. In an aspect, one or more apertures 5704extending perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the rotational lockingmember 4910 may be provided. The one or more apertures 5704 may beconfigured to align with aperture 5212 on the D shaft portion 5220 ofthe output shaft 4920. When provided, one or more pins or rods may beinserted through the apertures 5212 and 5704 to secure the output shaft4920 to the rotational locking member 4910. To provide additionalstructural integrity and enhance the rotational force delivered to theroller brush portions 3802, 3804, the rotational locking member 4910 mayhave a hexagonal form factor 5706 that may be configured to mate with ahexagonal opening on the roller brush portions 3802, 3804, as describedand illustrated with reference to FIG. 32 . It is noted that thehexagonal opening on the roller brush portions 3802, 3804 may bedisposed at the first end 4812 of the cylindrical member 4810. Thehexagonal form factor may aid in the locking of the rotational lockingmember 4910 in place and drive the rotation of the roller brush portions3802, 3804. Similarly, the hexagonal form factor may also enable thecylindrical member 4810 to transfer the rotational force to the axiallocking member 4930.

Referring to FIGS. 54-56 , exemplary aspects of a release button inaccordance with aspects of the present disclosure. In FIGS. 54-56 , therelease button 3310 of FIG. 33 is shown as including a cap 5410, tabs5412, and a central support 5414. Each of the tabs 5412 may include anat least partially tapered portion 5416 (FIG. 55 ). As shown in FIG.57B, the release button 3310 may be inserted into the axial lockingmember 4830 with the tapered portion 5416 of each tab 5412 beinginserted first. Once inserted, the cap 5410 of the release button 3310may rest flush with the end 5740 of the axial locking member 4830, asshown in FIG. 57D. Alternatively, the cap 5410 of the release button3310 may be slightly raised (e.g., 1 mm, 2 mm, etc.) with respect to theend 5740 of the axial locking member 4830 or slightly depressed (e.g., 1mm, 2 mm, etc.) with respect to the end 5740 of the axial locking member4830.

As shown in FIG. 57C, once inserted, the tapered portions 5416 of thetabs 5412 may be disposed proximate an end 5742 of the axial lockingmember 4830. The end 5742 of the axial locking member 4830 may include acavity 5750. Retention members 5752 may be disposed at peripheral edgesof the cavity 5750 along a longitudinal axis of the cavity 5750. Theretention members 5752 may be configured to retain a clamp. For exampleand as shown in FIGS. 58-60 , a clamp 5800 may be provided. The clampmay include a base 5810 and a base 5820. Tapered ridges 5812 and 5814may be disposed at opposing sides of the base 5810 and tapered ridges5822 and 5824 may be disposed at opposing sides of the base 5820. Asshown in the profile view of FIG. 59 , the tapered ridges may form avalley 5902. A resilient member 5816 may be coupled with the base 5810and a resilient member 5826 may be coupled with the base 5820. Theresilient members 5816, 5826 may be configured to bias the clamp 5800 ina closed position shown in FIGS. 58-60 . In an aspect, the resilientmembers 5816, 5826 may be leaf springs, as shown in FIGS. 58-62F. Inadditional or alternative aspects the resilient members 5816, 5826 maybe other types of resilient structures, such as coils springs and thelike. The base 5810 may include a recessed portion 6010 and the base5820 may include a recessed portion 6020 (FIG. 60 ). The recessedportions 6010, 6020 may be curved as shown in FIGS. 58 and 60 or mayhave other form factors (e.g., square, triangular, rectangular, etc.).

When in the closed position shown in FIGS. 58 and 60 , the recessedportions 6010, 6020 may define an opening 5830. The opening 5830 may beconfigured to allow the clamp 5800 to be closed around the annulargroove 5120 of the output shaft 5920—however, the opening 5830 may besmaller than the conical end 5110 of the output shaft 5920 (e.g., theconical end 5110 may not pass through the opening 5830 unless the clamp5800 is open). To allow the conical end 5110 to pass through the opening5830, the clamp 5800 may be placed into an open position, as shown inFIG. 61 . To open the clamp 5800, the release button 3310 may bedepressed, as shown by arrow 6202 of FIG. 62A. For example, a useroperating the outdoor cleaning device may press on the release button3310 to provide the downward force. The downward force provided by thedepression of the release button 3310 may cause the tapered portion 5416of the tabs 5412 to travel into the valley 5902 defined by the opposingtapered ridges 5814, 5824 (and 5812, 5822). Upon contacting the angledsurfaces 6204 of the tapered ridges 5814, 5824 (and the angled surfaceon the other side of the clamp), the tabs 5412 may slide downward alongthe angled surfaces 6204 and separate the base 5810 from the base 5820,as illustrated in FIG. 62B, placing the clamp 5800 into the openposition. Once in the open position, the conical end 5110 of the outputshaft 5920 may pass through the opening 5830 such that the annulargroove 5112 is aligned within the opening 5830 and the conical end 5110is positioned above the bases 5810, 5820, as shown in FIG. 62F.

As the downward pressure on the release button 3310 is released theresilient members 5816, 5826 may bias the bases 3810, 3820 towards eachother and into the closed position, thereby securing the annular groove5112 within the opening 5830, as shown in FIGS. 62D-E. In an aspect, aresilient member 6250 may be positioned around central support 5414. Theresilient member 6250 may be configured to bias the release button 3310in a non-depressed position such that when the user stops pressing therelease button 3310 the resilient member 6250 returns the release button3310 to the non-depressed position shown in FIG. 62C. In an aspect, theresilient member 6250 may be a spring, as illustrated in FIG. 62C. Inadditional or alternative aspects the resilient member 6250 may not be aspring.

As illustrated in the cross-section view of FIG. 62G, a gap 6220 mayexist between the release button 3310 and an elbow 6230 of the axiallocking member 4830. The elbow 6230 may correspond to a point where ahead 6232 of the axial locking member 4830 meets a shaft 6234 of theaxial locking member 4830, as illustrated in the cross sectional view ofFIG. 62G. Additionally, a gap 6222 may exist between a tip 6240 of thecentral support 5414 and the conical end 5110. When the release button3310 is depressed, the resilient member 6250 may compress or deform,thereby allowing a lower surface of the cap 5410 to move toward an uppersurface 6236 of the elbow 6230 and the tip 6240 of the central support5414 to move toward the conical end 5110 of the output shaft 4920.Similarly, when the force used to depress the release button 3310 iswithdrawn, the biasing force of the resilient member 6250 may cause therelease button 3310 to move away from the upper surface 6236 of theelbow 6230 and the tip 6240 of the central support 5414 to move awayfrom the conical end 5110 of the output shaft 4920, thereby returningthe release button 3310 to its normal resting position in which the cap5410 is separated from the elbow 6230 by the gap 6220 and the tip 6240is separated from the conical end 5110 by the gap 6222. It is noted thatthe release button 3310 and the locking operations described withrespect to FIGS. 62A-62G may be used to secure a side brush to one orboth sides of the brush head as well as close off one or more ends ofthe axial locking members when the side brush(es) is not in use.

Referring to FIGS. 63A-63C, partial views illustrating exemplary aspectsof a motor cover for an outdoor cleaning device in accordance withembodiments of the present disclosure are shown. In FIGS. 63A-63C, amotor cover 6310 is shown. The motor cover 6310 may be disposedproximate a middle of the guard cover 3150. As shown in FIGS. 63A, 63C,the motor cover may be configured to reside at least partially within amain body structure 3108. For example, the main body structure 3108 mayoverlap (as indicated by arrow 6320) an upper portion 6312 of the motorcover 6310. The overlap may prevent liquids splashed onto or otherwisepresent on the main body structure 3108 from entering the motor coverand potentially damaging the motor 4210. For example, due to theoverlap, any liquids running down the external surface of the main bodystructure 3108 will fall from the main body structure 3108 and onto theexternal surface of the motor cover 6310 where it will then flow down tothe guard cover 3150 and onto the ground. In aspects, the upper portion6312 and a lower portion of the main body structure 3108 may have atight fit to prevent the ingress of liquids into the motor cover 6310and damaging the motor 4210. It is noted that the motor cover 6310 maybe formed from a material such as rubber or silicone so that the motorcover 6310 may deform slightly to facilitate the tight fit accommodatedby the opening at the lower portion of the main body structure 3108. Thetight fit may further enhance the protection of the motor 4210 and otherdrive components from damage by liquids.

Referring to FIG. 64 , an image illustrating exemplary aspects ofcontrolling the flow of liquids (e.g., mixed liquids and non-mixedliquids or no liquids) is shown. As illustrated in FIG. 64 , the hosesocket 322 may include outputs 324E, 324F, as described with referenceto FIG. 22 . The output 324F may be coupled to the input 340A of themixing means (e.g., the venturi 340 of FIG. 22 ) via a tube 6402. Themixing means may include a detergent input 340C for receiving detergentfrom the fluid storage tank 3110 via tube 3404. An output 340B of themixing means may be connected to an input 6412 of the fluid branchingdevice 3870 via tube 6406 to deliver mixed fluids (e.g., detergent orcleaning solution mixed with water provided by a hose connected to thehose socket 322) to the fluid branching device 3870 and then to nozzles3810, 3820, 3830, 3840, 3850, 3860. The fluid branching device 3870 mayinclude outputs 6420, 6430, 6440, 6450, 6460, 6470. The output 6420 maybe connected to the nozzle 3810 via a tube 6422, the output 6430 may beconnected to the nozzle 3820 via a tube 6432, the output 6440 may beconnected to the nozzle 3830 via a tube 6442, the output 6450 may beconnected to the nozzle 3840 via a tube 6452, the output 6460 may beconnected to the nozzle 3850 via a tube 6462, and the output 6470 may beconnected to the nozzle 3860 via a tube 6472. The fluid branching device3870 may improve uniform distribution of fluids among the nozzles andmay ensure uniform spray pressure for fluids exiting the nozzles.

Additionally, the output 324E of the hose socket 322 may be connected toan input 6410 of the fluid branching device 3870 via tube 6408 todeliver non-mixed fluids to the nozzles 3810, 3820, 3830, 3840, 3850,3860. As described above, the control panel 324 may also provide anoption to not deliver any fluids to the fluid branching device 3870,thereby providing a dry mode of operation. It is noted that the tubes6402, 6404, 6406, 6408, 6422, 6432, 6442, 6452, 6462, 6472 may be formedof a soft rubber or other material that enables the tubes to beflexible, which may help in routing the tubes within the outdoorcleaning devices of embodiments. It is also noted that the particularnumber of nozzles, tubes, and outputs of the fluid branching device 3870shown in FIG. 64 have been provided for purposes of illustration, ratherthan by way of limitation and that outdoor cleaning device configured inaccordance with embodiments of the present disclosure may include fewernozzles (e.g., at least one nozzle, 2 nozzles, 3 nozzles, 4 nozzles, 5nozzles) or more nozzles (e.g., 6 or more nozzles) than are illustratedin FIG. 64 and that the fluid branching device 3870 may include anappropriate number of outputs to deliver fluids to each nozzle.

Referring to FIG. 68 , a diagram illustrating aspects of securing aclamp to an axial locking member of an outdoor cleaning device inaccordance with embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Asdescribed above, the axial locking member 4830 may include a cavity 5750and one or more retention members 5752 may be disposed within the cavity5750. The clamp 5800 may be inserted into the cavity 5750 such that theretention members 5752 are disposed between an interior surface of theresilient members 5816 and 5826 (i.e., the retention members 5752 arebetween the resilient members 5826, 5826 and the bases 5810, 5820). Aportion of the resilient members 5816, 5826 may be disposed within acavity of the bases 5810, 5820. The portions of the resilient members5816, 5826 within the cavity may include curved ends, such as curvedends 6812, 6814. As the bases 5810, 5820 of the clamp 5800 areseparated, as described above, the resilient member 5826 may remainbetween the retention member 5752 and the interior wall of the cavity5750. The pressure applied to the resilient members 5816, 5826 by thebases 5810, 5820 may cause the resilient members to deform or flexinternal to the cavity of the bases 5810, 5820. For example, the curvedends 6812, 6814 may slide across the cavity of the base 5820 such thatthe curved end 6812 slides towards the curved end 6814 and vice versa.The sliding of the curved ends 6812, 6814 (and the curved ends of theresilient member 5816) towards each other may enable the bases 5810,5820 to become separated. In an aspect, the recessed portions 6010, 6020may form a convex surface on an interior of the cavities of the bases5810, 5820. The convex surface may enable the curved ends of theresilient members 5816, 5826 to slide towards each other more easily.Additionally, it is noted that the curved ends may come into contactwith each other as they slide. If this occurs the curved ends may thenbe turned towards the retention members 5752 as the bases 5810, 5820 areseparated. As the pressure applied to the release button 3310 releases,the resilient members 5816, 5826 may return to their normal restingposition as the curved ends of the resilient members 5816, 5826 moveaway from each other, thereby providing a biasing force that urges thebases 5810, 5820 towards each other and causing the clamp 5800 to close.In an aspect, a base (not shown in FIG. 68 ) may be placed over theclamp 5800 and secured to the axial locking member 4830 via screws,which may be secured within screw holes 6810 located at the end 5742 ofthe axial locking member 4830. It is noted that FIG. 68 is described asusing screws and screw holes 6810 to secure the base to the axiallocking member 4830 and retain the clamp 5800 within the cavity 5750, insome embodiments other mechanisms may be used, such as pins or rods.

It is noted that the various embodiments of outdoor cleaning devices inaccordance with the present disclosure, as described and illustratedwith respect to FIGS. 1-68 are intended to be complimentary to oneanother, rather than limiting. For example, aspects of the outdoorcleaning devices illustrated with reference to FIGS. 1-29 mayincorporate one or more of the features illustrated with respect toFIGS. 30-68 , such as the release buttons and locking members, the useof tubes and fluid branching devices to connect nozzles to fluidsources, and the like. Thus, it is to be understood that featuresdescribed with respect to any individual drawing may be incorporatedinto embodiments illustrated in other drawings if desired. For example,tubing similar to the tubing shown in FIG. 64 for establishing fluidcommunication to the plurality of nozzles may be used to establish fluidcommunication to nozzles of other embodiments illustrated in otherdrawings, which may include a different number of nozzles than shown inFIG. 64 .

The above specification and examples provide a complete description ofthe structure and use of illustrative implementations. Although certainexamples have been described above with a certain degree ofparticularity, or with reference to one or more individual examples,those skilled in the art could make numerous alterations to thedisclosed implementations without departing from the scope of thisinvention. As such, the various illustrative implementations of themethods and systems are not intended to be limited to the particularforms disclosed. Rather, they include all modifications and alternativesfalling within the scope of the claims, and examples other than the oneshown may include some or all of the features of the depicted example.For example, elements may be omitted or combined as a unitary structure,and/or connections may be substituted. Further, where appropriate,aspects of any of the examples described above may be combined withaspects of any of the other examples described to form further exampleshaving comparable or different properties and/or functions, andaddressing the same or different problems. Similarly, it will beunderstood that the benefits and advantages described above may relateto one embodiment or may relate to several implementations.

The claims are not intended to include, and should not be interpreted toinclude, means plus- or step-plus-function limitations, unless such alimitation is explicitly recited in a given claim using the phrase(s)“means for” or “step for,” respectively.

Although the aspects of the present disclosure and their advantages havebeen described in detail, it should be understood that various changes,substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing fromthe spirit of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims.Moreover, the scope of the present application is not intended to belimited to the particular implementations of the process, machine,manufacture, composition of matter, means, methods and steps describedin the specification. As one of ordinary skill in the art will readilyappreciate from the present disclosure, processes, machines,manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps, presentlyexisting or later to be developed that perform substantially the samefunction or achieve substantially the same result as the correspondingembodiments described herein may be utilized according to the presentdisclosure. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to includewithin their scope such processes, machines, manufacture, compositionsof matter, means, methods, or steps.

What is claimed is:
 1. A cleaning device comprising: a first handle; alongitudinal shaft, the first handle attached to a first end of thelongitudinal shaft; a main body positioned on the longitudinal shaft,the main body comprising a fluid tank; a brush head disposed at a baseof the main body; a hose socket configured to interface with a hosetransporting a first fluid; a mixing means for mixing the first fluidwith a second fluid stored in a fluid tank; at least one nozzle in fluidcommunication with an output of the mixing means, wherein the at leastone nozzle is configured to spray fluid received from the output of themixing means or the hose; a driving means for providing a rotation forceto a roller brush of the brush head; and an activation means forcontrolling activation of the driving means, wherein the activationmeans is disposed on the first handle.
 2. The cleaning device of claim1, further comprising: a multi-part guard at least partially surroundingthe brush head, the multi-part guard comprising an inner guard cover andan outer guard cover, wherein the inner guard cover and the out guardcover define a space therein for receiving the at least one nozzle. 3.The cleaning device of claim 2, wherein the inner guard cover defines atleast a first groove along the peripheral edge of the inner guard coverand the outer guard cover defines at least a second groove along theperipheral edge of the outer guard cover, and wherein the inner guardcover and the outer guard cover are configured to be connected to eachother such that a portion of the at least one nozzle is secured betweenthe first groove and the second groove.
 4. The cleaning device of claim2, wherein the inner guard comprises a first notch and a first cradleand the outer guard comprises a second notch and a second cradle,wherein the at least one nozzle includes a ridge, a shaft, and a tipportion, wherein, when the inner guard cover is connected to the outerguard cover the tip portion is sandwiched between the first groove andthe second groove, the shaft is positioned between the first cradle andthe second cradle, and the ridge is disposed in the first notch and thesecond notch.
 5. The cleaning device of claim 1, further comprising oneor more additional nozzles.
 6. The cleaning device of claim 1, whereinthe mixing means comprises a venturi having a first inlet, a secondinlet, and an outlet, the first inlet in fluid communication with thehose to receive the first fluid, the second inlet in fluid communicationwith the fluid tank to receive the second fluid, wherein a diameter ofthe first inlet is greater than the second inlet such that a portion ofthe second fluid is drawn into the second inlet as the first fluidpasses through the first inlet and mixes with the first fluid to producea mixed fluid, wherein the mixed fluid is provided to the outlet, andwherein the output of the mixing means comprises the mixed fluid.
 7. Thecleaning device of claim 1, further comprising a mixing controllerconfigured to selectively control providing the output of the mixingmeans to at least one nozzle, providing the first fluid to the at leastone nozzle, or no fluid.
 8. The cleaning device of claim 7, wherein thefluid tank is configured to store a volume of fluid corresponding to abattery life of a battery powering the driving means such that thecleaning device is operable to dispense the mixed fluid continuouslyuntil the fluid tank is empty.
 9. The cleaning device of claim 7,wherein the mixing controller comprises a knob rotatable to a firstposition, a second position, and a third position, wherein the firstfluid is output from the mixing means based on the first position,wherein the second fluid is output from the mixing means based on thesecond position, and wherein no fluid is output from the mixing meansbased on the third position.
 10. The cleaning device of claim 7, whereinthe mixing controller comprises a switch slidable to a first position, asecond position, and a third position, wherein the first fluid is outputfrom the mixing means based on the first position, wherein the secondfluid is output from the mixing means based on the second position, andwherein no fluid is output from the mixing means based on the thirdposition.
 11. The cleaning device of claim 1, further comprising aretaining means for securing the hose proximate the longitudinal shaft.12. The cleaning device of claim 1, wherein the at least one nozzle isconfigured to deliver fluids received from the output of the mixingmeans or the hose directly or indirectly onto the surface in front ofthe roller brush, directly or indirectly onto the surface at leastpartially to a side of a first longitudinal end of the roller brush, ordirectly or indirectly onto the surface at least partially to a side ofa second longitudinal end of the roller brush.
 13. The cleaning deviceof claim 12, further comprising at least one additional nozzleconfigured to spray the fluid received from the output of the mixingmeans or the hose directly or indirectly onto the surface in front ofthe roller brush.
 14. The cleaning device of claim 1, wherein the fluidtank is configured to store a cleaning fluid.
 15. The cleaning device ofclaim 1, wherein the fluid tank is disposed on a front side of the mainbody and/or on a back side of the main body.
 16. The cleaning device ofclaim 1, wherein the fluid tank is removably attached to the main body.17. The cleaning device of claim 1, wherein the fluid tank is configuredto create a downward force on the roller brush, the downward forcecorresponding to an amount of fluid stored in the fluid tank.
 18. Thecleaning device of claim 1, further comprising: a battery; a batterycompartment disposed on the main body; and one or more drain holesdisposed within the battery compai tinent and configured to drain fluidsfrom the battery compartment.
 19. The cleaning device of claim 1,further comprising: a seat configured to receive the fluid tank, whereinthe seat comprises a raised lip defining a recessed region, and whereina bottom of the fluid tank is situated within the recessed region of theseat when attached to the main body.
 20. The cleaning device of claim19, further comprising one or more drain holes disposed within therecessed region, the one or more drain holes configured to preventliquids spilled from the fluid tank from entering a battery compartmentof the cleaning device.